The  Origin 05^™!; 


lenrv  ,  .^vxander  V/ 


THE 


Gil  OF  THE  PIT 


IN    THE 


Light  of  the  Ancient  Monuments. 


HENRY   ALEXANDER   WHITE,  M.  A.,  Pli.  D.,  D.  D. 

Professor  of  History  in  the  Washington  and  Lee  University, 
Lexington,  Virginia. 


RICHMOND,  VA.: 

B.  F.  Johnson  Publishing  Company. 

1894. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1894,  by 

HENRY   ALEXANDER   WHITE, 
In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


This  Volume  is  Dedicated 

TO 

My  Wife. 


PREFACE. 


THE  greater  part  of  this  volume,  in  the  form  of  lectures,  has  been 
given,  during  several  sessions,  to  my  class  in  Bible  History.  The 
reader  of  these  lectures  should  keep  constantly  before  his  eyes  the  open 
pages  of  the  sacred  narrative  itself.  It  is  hoped  that  they  may  be  found 
available  in  connection  with  the  study  of  the  English  Bible  as  a  text- 
book of  history  in  our  colleges  and  universities. 

The  best  literature  available  on  the  various  subjects  has  been  con- 
sulted. Reference  to  some  of  these  authorities  has  been  made  in  the 
foot-notes.  Special  acknowledgment  must  be  rendered,  in  the  line  of 
Egyptian  and  Babylonian  history  to  Brugsch's  Egypt  Under  the  Pharaohs 
(Scribner's) ;  Renouf's  Religion  of  Ancient  Egypt;  Budge's  Dwellers  on 
the  Nile ;  Rawlinson's  Ancient  Egypt ;  his  Great  Monarchies,  and  his 
Origin  of  Nations ;  Wilkinson's  Ancient  Egyptians ;  Kenrick's  Egypt ; 
the  publications  of  Ebers ;  Fergusson  on  Egyptian  Architecture ;  Daw- 
son's Egypt  and  Syria;  Smith's  Ancient  History  of  the  East;  Sayce's 
Ancient  Empires  of  the  East ;  his  Fresh  Light  from  the  Ancient  Monu- 
ments, and  his  Assyria,  its  Princes,  Priests  and  People ;  Budge's  Baby- 
lonian Life  and  History  ;  Layard's  Nineveh  and  Babylon  ;  Keary's  Dawn 
of  History,  and  the  various  encyclopedias  and  publications  of  the  Pales- 
tine and  Egyptian  Exploration  Funds. 

In  connection  with  the  Babylonian  myths  and  modern  critical  theo- 
ries, the  following  have  been  chiefly  used  :  Smith's  Chaldean  Account  of 
Genesis  (Scribner's);  Lenormant's  Beginnings  of  History;  Records  of 
the  Past ;  Driver's  Introduction  to  the  Literature  of  the  Old  Testament ; 
Briggs'  The  Higher  Criticism  of  the  Hexateuch  ;  The  Bible,  the  Church 
and  the  Reason  ;  Ryle's  Early  Narratives  of  Genesis. 

In  the  study  of  the  narrative  of  the  Pentateuch,  valuable  assistance 
has  been  found  in  The  Speaker's  Commentary;  Delitzsch  on  Genesis; 
Ewald's  History  of  Israel ;  Stanley's  History  of  the  Jewish  Church,  and 
his  Sinai  and  Palestine ;  Oehler's  Old  Testament  Theology. 

HENRY  ALEXANDER  WHITE. 

Washington  and  Lee  University,  September,  1894. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

The  Witness  of  the  Ancient  Monuments. 

Introductory. 

Chapter  I. — TTie  Fall  of  the  Ancient  Empires  of  the  East. 

The  Tragedy  of  the  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel 14 

The  Battle  of  Megiddo 15 

The  Fall  of  Nineveh 17 

The  Captivity  of  Judah  in  Babylon 19 

The  Overthrow  of  Egypt 20 

The  Destruction  of  the  Kingdom  of  Lydia 21 

The  Fall  of  Babylon 22 

Two  Discoveries— The  Decree  of  Cyrus  and  the  Book  of  the  Law  of 

Moses 23 

Chapter  II. — The  Civilization  of  Ancient  Egypt. 

The  Land  of  Egypt 28 

The  Pyramid  Builders 30 

The  Pharaohs  of  Thebes 32 

The  Empire  of  Thothmes  III 36 

Pharaoh  Rameses  II 37 

The  Sun-gods,  Ra  and  Osiris 39 

Chapter  111.— The  Civilization  of  Babylonia. 

The  Land  Between  the  Rivers 45 

The  Accadians 46 

The  Moon-god  of  Ur 48 

Assyrian  and  Babylonian  Kings   ■   •    •   : 50 

Asshur-bani-pal 52 

Nebuchadnezzar 54 

Merodach,  the  Sun-god  of  Babylon • 56 

Chapter  IV. — Discovery  and  Interpretation  of  the  Ancient  Inscriptions. 

The  Library  of  Asshur-bani-pal 59 

The  Rosetta  Stone 62 

The  Behistun  Inscription 64 


CONTENTS. 


PART  II. 
The   Beginnings  of  Divine   Revelation    Contrasted    with    Heathen 

FoLK-LORE. 

Chapter  V. — The  Creation. 

The  Chaldean  Story  of  Creation 71 

The  Story  of  Creation  in  the  Book  of  Genesis 77 

Origin  of  Inorganic  Life 78 

Origin  of  Organic  Life 79 

The  Image  of  God 80 

Jehovah  is  God 82 

The  Purpose  of  the  Narrative  in  Genesis 83 

Chapter  VL — The  Origin  and  Progress  of  Evil. 

The  Sacred  Tree  of  Eridu 87 

The  Babylonian  Belief  in  the  Physical  Origin  of  Evil 89 

The  Fall  of  Man  and  His  Expulsion  from  Eden 90 

The  Cainites  and  the  Sethites 93 

The  Documentary  Theory  of  the  Origin  of  this  History 95 

Chapter  VIE. — The  Deluge. 

The  Babylonian  Legend 96 

The  Greek  Legend 99 

The  Story  in  Genesis 100 

The  Covenant  with  Noah 105 

The  Destiny  of  the  Sons  of  Noah 106 

Chapter  VIII. — One  God  and  One  Race  of  Men. 

Heathen  Views  of  the  Origin  of  Man 108 

The  Dispersion  from  Babel 109 

The  Unity  of  the  Human  Race 109 

The  Unity  of  Human  Speech 110 

Origin  of  the  Early  Genesis  Narrative Ill 

PART   111. 
Divine   Revelation   Continued   in  Opposition   to   Heathen   Nature- 
Worship. 
Chapter  IX. — Ahram  Called  Out  from  the  Land  of  the  Moon- Worshippers. 

Ur  of  the  Chaldees 118 

Abram's  First  Call 120 

The  Second  Call 122 

The  Vision  at  Sichem 122 

Chapter  X. — Abrarri  Tempted  by  the  Sun-Worshippers. 

The  Famine  in  Palestine 125 

Abram  Before  the  Pharaoh 126 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


The  Altar  at  Bethel 128 

Abram's  Separation  from  Lot 128 

The  Home  at  Hebron 130 

Chapter  XI. — Tlie  Faith  of  Abraham  Confirmed  by  the  Divine  Covenants. 

War  with  Babylonia 132 

The  Sacrificial  Covenant 132 

The  Egyptian  Hagar 138 

The  Covenant  of  Circumcision 138 

Sodomites  and  Philistines 143 

The  Covenant  of  the  Oath 143 

Chapter  XII. — The  Chosen  Race  Kept  Pure. 

The  Marriage  of  Isaac 151 

The  Birth  of  Esau  and  Jacob 152 

Jacob's  Family's  Pride 153 

The  Descent  into  Egypt 158 

Joseph's  Governorship 159 

Jacob's  Dying  Blessing 163 

PART  IV. 

Divine  Revelation  in  Conflict  with  Heathenism. 

Chapter  XIII. — Israel  in  Egypt. 

The  Grovi^th  of  the  People 168 

The  Store-Cities,  Pithom  and  Raamses 168 

Moses  and  the  Pharaoh 173 

The  Royal  University  at  Heliopolis 174 

Moses  as  a  Soldier  of  the  Egyptian  Empire 177 

Moses  the  Self-Appointed  Deliverer 178 

Chapter  XIV. — Jehovah  Declares  His  Name. 

Moses  in  Midian      180 

The  Burning  Bush 182 

God's  Covenant-Name  is  Jehovah 183 

Moses  and  Aaron  in  Egypt  as  the  Representatives  of  Jehovah   ■   .   .  184 

Chapter  XV. — Jehovah's  Name  Vindicated  in  the  Presence  of  the  Sun-gods 

of  Egypt. 

Zoan,  the  Capital  of  the  Delta 188 

"  Wonders  in  the  Field  of  Zoan  " 189 

The  Seven  Days'  Death  of  the  Nile-god 191 

The  Plague  of  Frogs 193 

The  Curse  Upon  the  Soil  of  the  Earth 194 

The  Atmosphere  Breeds  a  Plague,  but  Not  Upon  the  Hebrews    ...  196 

Curses  Upon  the  Cattle  and  Upon  the  People 197 

The  Pharaoh's  Heart  Hardened 198 


10  CONTENTS. 


The  Darkness  that  Could  be  Felt 203 

"  Judgment  Against  all  the  Gods  of  Egypt " 204 

Chapter  XVI. — From  Heliopolis  to  Sinai. 

The  Sacrifice  of  the  Passover 207 

The  Gathering  at  Succoth 208 

The  Passage  of  the  Red  Sea 209 

Bread  from  Heaven 212 

The  Rock  of  Rephidim 215 

The  Mountain  of  Fire 216 

The  Song  of  Moses 219 

PART  V. 
The  Divine  Charter  of  Deliverance  from  Heathen  Superstition, 

Chapter  XVII. — The  National  Covenant. 

The  Invisible  Redeemer 223 

The  Sealing  of  the  National  Covenant 225 

The  Tables  of  the  Covenant 229 

The  Book  of  the  Covenant 232 

The  Ark  of  the  Covenant. 235 

Jehovah  the  Sovereign  King ....  238 

Chapter  XVIII. — The  National  Administration. 

The  Kingdom  Visible .- 246 

The  National  Altar 248 

The  National  Priesthood 253 

Ordinances  Concerning  Holiness 255 

The  Holy  Festivals 267 

The  Blood  of  the  Atonement 260 

Chapter  XIX. — The  National  Organization. 

The  National  Assembly 266 

The  Elders  of  the  Congregation 269 

The  Brazen  Serpent 271 

The  Spirit  of  God 273 

Chapter  XX. — Jehovah's  Ideal  for  the  Nation. 

The  Last  Messages  of  Moses 276 

"Jehovah,  God  of  your  Fathers" 276 

National  Ideals   . 279 

The  Everlasting  Covenant 284 

The  Three  Legal  Codes 287 

Chapter  XXI. — Authorship  and  Inspiration  of  the  Pentateuch. 

Moses  Wrote  the  National  Constitution 289 

The  Culmination  of  Moses'  Work  as  Prophet 293 

The  Inspiration  of  the  Pentateuch 299 


P^RT    I. 


THE  WITNESS  OF  THE  ANCIENT  MONUMENTS. 


INTRODUCTORY 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Fall  of  the  Ancient  Empires  of  the  East. 

[621-521  B.  C.l 

A  SINGLE  century,  extending  from  the  year  621  B.  C.  to 
521  B.  C,  saw  the  downfall  of  all  the  original  empires  of 
the  East.  During  this  short  period  the  sceptre  of  the  world 
was  transferred  from  the  Hamitic  and  Semitic  to  the  Aryan 
races.  On  the  banks  of  the  Tiber  the  Romans  were  almoct 
ready  to  drive  out  the  line  of  kings  and  to  organize  the  re- 
public; in  Athens  Solon  was  laying  the  foundations  of  the 
Democracy;  in  Miletus  Thales  was  setting  forth  the  princi- 
ples of  that  physical  philosophy  which  was  destined  to  sup- 
plant the  myths  that  had  come  from  Babylon  to  Greece.  At 
the  same  time  the  Aryan  races  of  the  East  under  Cyrus,  of 
Persia,  were  crushing  into  dust  the  last  of  the  Semitic 
kingdoms,  and  were  also  gathering  strength  for  the  later 
struggle  between  Asia  and  Europe  at  Marathon  and  Salamis, 
in  the  reigns  of  Darius  and  Xerxes. 

From  the  days  of  Noah  until  this  century  of  Cyrus  and 
of  Solon,  five  great  empires  were  builded  by  the  sons  of  Ham 
and  of  Shem.  First  in  the  order  of  time,  they  continued 
to  stand  first  among  organized  governments  in  the  order  of 
power.  The  kingdom  of  the  Egyptian  Pharaohs  on  the 
river  Nile  traced  its  origin  back  to  Mizraim,  second  son  of 
Ham.  Babylon,  on  the  Euphrates,  claimed  as  father  Nim- 
rod,  the  grandson  of  Ham.  Nineveh,  on  the  river  Tigris, 
worshipped  as  chief  god  her  original  founder,  Asshur,  sec- 
ond son  of  Shem.  The  kingdom  of  Lydia,  in  western  Asia 
Minor,  was  the  last  living  fragment  of  the  Hittite  empire, 
founded  by  Heth,  grandson  of  Ham.  The  children  of  Heth 
in  early  times  sold  to  Abraham  the  cave  of  Machpelah;  they 
probably  invaded  Egypt  under  the  Hyksos  princes  and  were 
afterwards  forced  northward  by  Babylon  and  became  a  part  of 
Lydia.  Jerusalem,  daughter  of  Zion,  centre  of  the  kingdom 
of  Judah,   retained  her   old   position  as   one  of  the  great 


14  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


powers  of  the  earth.  For  more  than  two  thousand  years 
had  some  of  these  empires  lived.  The  annals  of  mankind 
had  never  yet  been  illustrated  by  a  single  complete  national 
downfall.  Into  this  century  these  kingdoms  entered,  still 
in  possession  of  much  of  the  splendor  of  their  youth.  Ere 
ten  decades  had  past  they  were  all  dead  and  buried  at  the 
hands  of  the  Almighty  God.  With  a  single  exception,  those 
kingdoms  remain  dead  and  buried  unto  this  day.  After 
seventy  years  of  burial,  there  was  a  great  resurrection  from 
the  dead  in  the  case  of  Judah.  Persia,  the  hammer  of  the 
nations,  who  had  beaten  Babylon  to  powder  reestablished 
Jerusalem  upon  Mount  Zion,  for  a  longer  term  of  power. 
Yet  this  period  of  the  overthrow  of  the  ancient  races 
marked  the  first  great  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  delivered 
by  Jehovah  Himself  unto  Noah  that  Japheth,  father  of 
the  Aryan  peoples,  "  shall  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem  and 
Canaan  shall  be  his  servant."* 

The  Tragedy  of  the  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel— 721  B.  C. 

Several  preludes  were  furnished  before  the  curtain  rose 
upon  the  great  five-act  drama  of  national  overthrow.  Ex- 
actly one  century  before  the  beginning  of  this  continuous 
tragedy,  Samaria,  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Ten  Tribes, 
was  taken  by  Sargon,  of  Assyria,  and  all  the  people  of 
that  northern  portion  of  Palestine  were  borne  away  into 
captivity  beyond  the  Euphrates.  This  captivity  was  a  di- 
rect punishment  from  God  on  account  of  Israel's  practice  of 
idolatry.  Jeroboam,  the  founder  of  this  northern  kingdom, 
had  instituted  the  worship  of  the  golden  calves,  in  imitation 
of  Egyptian  idol-worship.  Ahab  and  his  wife  Jezebel  set  up 
altars  to  Baal  and  Ashtoreth,  gods  brought  from  Babylon  by 
the  people  of  Tyre.  Since  they  scorned  Jehovah's  protec- 
tion, He  gave  these  Israelites  up  to  the  power  of  the  heathen 
whose  gods  were  preferred  before  Him.  A  great  black 
obelisk  from  Nineveh,  now  in  the  British  museum,  repre- 
sents five  kings  paying  tribute  to  Shalmaneser  II.  of  Assy- 
ria. Foremost  among  these  five  kings  is  the  figure  of  "  Jehu, 
the  son  of  Omri."  Thus,  at  a  period  ante-dating  the  prophet 
Jonah,  King  Jehu  was  made  to  feel  the  scourging  hand  of 
the  Assyrian.     Through  the  voices  of  His  prophets,  Hosea 

*Gen.9:  27. 


TEE  BATTLE  OF  MEGIDDO—609  B.  C.  15 


and  Amos,  God  besought  Israel  to  return  unto  Him  in  order 
that  He  might  deliver  them  from  this  second  bondage,  even 
as  in  the  days  of  old,  He  had  set  free  their  fathers  at  the  Red 
Sea.  But  the  kings  and  the  priests  and  the  people  all  refused 
to  hearken.  The  last  king  of  Israel,  Hoshea,  led  his  nation 
yet  more  deeply  into  the  toils.  When  Shalmaneser  IV.,  of 
Assyria,  demanded  a  heavy  tribute,  Hoshea  refused  to  pay 
and  turned  to  seek  aid,  not  from  Jehovah,  but  from  Sebek 
or  So,  of  Egypt.  The  expedition  organized  against  Israel 
by  Shalmaneser  was  at  last  successful  under  his  successor 
Sargon,  and  the  Ten  Tribes  were  swept  from  their  allotted 
habitation  "  as  a  man  wipeth  a  dish,  wiping  it  and  turning 
it  upside  down."* 

The  Battle  of  Megiddo— 609  B.  C. 

Another  prelude  to  the  great  drama  was  the  battle  in  the 
pass  of  Megiddo.  This  event  reveals  the  false  position  of 
the  kingdom  of  Judah  in  becoming  entangled  in  alliances 
with  heathen  nations  and  in  casting  off  the  protection  of 
Jehovah.  .  Since  the  fall  of  Samaria,  a  century  before,  Judah 
had  imitated  the  foreign  policy  of  the  northern  kingdom. 
After  the  conquest  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  King  Sargon  advanced 
to  punish  Sebek  of  Egypt  for  the  assistance  rendered  to  Ho- 
shea of  Israel.  The  Pharaoh  fled  and  Sargon  took  and  forti- 
fied Ashdod  in  Philistia,  a  post  that  gave  him  control  of  the 
great  sea-coast  route  into  the  land  of  Egypt.  From  that 
time  onward,  Assyria  and  Egypt  engaged  in  deadly  conflict 
for  the  possession  of  western  Asia,  and  in  particular,  for  the 
kingdom  of  Judah.  This  struggle  was  like  unto  the  con- 
test so  long  continued  between  France  and  Germany  for 
the  intervening  territory  of  Alsace-Lorraine.  The  fatal  pol- 
icy adopted  by  Judah  herself  was  to  make  alliance  with  one 
of  these  heathen  nations  in  order  to  resist  the  other.  One 
glorious  exception  to  this  method  of  national  defence  illus- 
trated the  century  prior  to  the  battle  of  Megiddo.  When 
Sennacherib,  the  son  of  Sargon,  came  up  against  Judah, 
King  Hezekiah  hearkened  to  the  advice  of  the  prophet 
Isaiah  and  sought  not  the  help  of  the  king  of  Egypt,  but 
trusted  in  the  arm  of  Jehovah.  Through  the  camp  of  the 
invading  Assyrians  passed  the  angel  of  Jehovah  and  smote 

*II  Kings  21:  13. 


16  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


an  hundred  and  four  score  and  five  thousand  of  the  enemies 
of  Judah, 

"And  the  might  of  the  Gentiles,  untouched  by  the  sword, 
Had  melted  like  snow  at  the  blast  of  the  Lord." 

This  return  to  the  policy  advocated  by  God's  prophets  was 
of  brief  duration.  Hezekiah  himself  ere  long  showed  a 
strong  inclination  to  enter  into  alliance  with  Babylonia,  in 
spite  of  Isaiah's  prophecy  that  this  third  power  should 
finally  subjugate  Judah.  Henceforth  there  are  three  sides 
to  Judah's  political  position  as  connected  with  those  three 
foreign  nations. 

The  impious  and  idolatrous  king  of  Judah,  Manasseh,son 
of  Hezekiah,  rested  upon  the  friendship  of  Egypt,  while  he 
looked  on  to  see  Assyria  and  Babylonia  settle  their  quarrel. 
But  the  friendship  of  Egypt  failed  to  prevent  Manasseh's 
captivity  in  Babylon  at  the  hands  of  the  Assyrian  King 
Esar-haddon,  who  made  the  latter  city  one  of  his  capitals. 
The  generosity  of  the  Assyrians  in  restoring  Manasseh  to 
his  throne,  perhaps,  inclined  the  hearts  of  the  people  of 
Judah  to  turn  from  the  alliance  with  Egypt  to  a  dependence 
upon  Assyria.  Against  the  urgent  entreaties  of  Jeremiah 
that  they  should  take  Jehovah  alone  as  their  defence,  the 
chosen  people  in  the  time  of  King  Josiah  made  ready  to 
assail  Pharaoh-Necho  of  Egypt  as  he  was  marching  against 
their  old  enemies,  but  now  their  friends,  the  Assyrians. 

Sais,  the  capital  of  Pharaoh-Necho,  situated  on  the  west- 
ern branch  of  the  Nile,  near  the  sea,  was  the  last  centre  of 
the  power  of  independent  Egypt.  The  dynasty  of  Necho  had 
established  itself  on  the  throne  by  the  aid  of  Greek  mer- 
cenaries. Necho  himself  had  attempted  to  re-open  the 
ancient  canal  between  the  Red  Sea  and  the  Mediterranean, 
a  work  begun  in  the  time  of  Moses  by  Rameses  II. 
From  the  Red  Sea,  Necho's  fleet  had  sailed  around  Africa  and 
entered  the  Mediterranean  at  the  Pillars  of  Hercules.  Necho 
was  in  close  sympathy  with  the  religious  creed  of  the 
Greeks,  for  after  the  battle  of  Megiddo  he  sent  an  embassy 
to  the  oracle  of  Apollo  at  Branchidae,  near  Miletus,  to  bear 
as  a  votive  offering  to  the  god  his  battle-tunic.  Filled  with 
the  spirit  of  Greek  enterprise,  Necho  led  up  his  army  against 
the  power  of  Assyria.  Across  his  path  rushed  King  Josiah. 
Josiah  had  instituted  a  great  reform  in  Judah  after  the  dis- 


THE  FALL  OF  NINEVEH— 606  B.  C.  17 


covery  of  the  Book  of  the  Law.  Impelled  in  part  by  zeal 
against  the  ancient  enemies  of  his  people,  in  part  by  his 
inclination  to  an  alliance  with  Assyria,  Josiah  marched 
down  from  the  hills  of  Judah  into  the  great  plain  of 
Esdraelon  near  Mount  Carmel.  Along  the  seashore  north- 
wards came  Necho.  The  two  kings  met  in  battle  at  Megiddo. 
Josiah  wore  a  disguise,  for  Necho  had  sent  him  friendly 
warning  not  to  withstand  his  advance.  At  the  first  onset,. 
Josiah's  soldiers  turned  and  fled,  for  the  king  himself  waS' 
sore  wounded  by  an  Egyptian  arrow  and  in  his  second 
chariot  was  borne  back  dead  to  Jerusalem.  The  true 
patriotism  of  the  people  of  Judah  had  been  deadened  and 
their  hands  had  been  palsied  by  idolatry  and  vile  heathenish 
customs.  The  glory  of  the  line  of  David  departed  with 
Josiah.  The  tragedy  of  the  king  was  a  forecast  of  the 
tragedy  of  the  nation.  Soon  was  this  kingdom  to  fall 
beneath  the  power  of  the  foreign  empire  whose  protection 
had  been  courted.  A  type  of  many  future  sorrows  was  this 
defeat  of  Josiah  unto  later  prophets.*  But  at  the  last,  the 
plain  of  Megiddo  appeared  in  the  vision  of  John,  in  Patmos, 
as  the  scene  of  the  battle  of  Ar-Megiddo  or  Armageddon, 
where  Jesus  Christ  reverses  the  ancient  tragedy  and  over- 
throws finally  and  forever  the  enemies  of  His  people. 

The  Fall  of  Nineveh— 606  B.  C. 

The  first  act  in  the  tragedy  of  dying  empires  took  place 
in  the  year  606  B.  C,  when  Nineveh,  the  capital  of  Assyria,  at 
the  word  spoken  by  the  God  of  Nations,  was  sealed  up 
forever  in  the  tomb.  Conquest  and  rapine  had  marked  the 
career  of  Assyria.  Her  military  power  had  grown  until  the 
sceptre  of  her  kings  waved  red  over  Western  Asia  from  the 
Tigris  even  as  far  as  to  the  river  Nile.  A  few  years  before  the 
coming  of  the  avenger  of  blood,  a  scholar-tyrant  ruled  in 
Nineveh.  Asshur-bani-pal,  the  Sardanapalus  of  Greek 
legend,  transformed  Nineveh  the  arsenal  to  Nineveh  the 
national  library.  In  the  rooms  of  his  palace  he  gathered 
together  all  the  State  and  religious  and  educational  records 
of  the  two  Semitic  empires,  Assyria  and  Babylonia.  Then 
was  the  city  of  towers  and  palaces  ready  for  burial  along 
with  these  written  records  of  her  infamy.     The  destroying 

*  Zechariah  12:  10,  n. 


18  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


blow  came  from  the  hand  of  a  kindred  people,  the  men  of 
Babylonia. 

The  records  from  Asshur-bani-pal's  library  portray  the  As- 
syrians as  a  race  whose  veins  were  full  of  the  wine  of  cruelty. 
In  deeds  of  slaughter  wrought  with  fire  and  sword  they 
found  their  chief  joy.  For  a  brief  space  they  sat  in  ashes 
at  the  warning  call  of  the  prophet  Jonah.  "  Woe  to 
thee,  city  of  bloods!  The  fire  shall  devour  thee!"  *  cried  the 
prophet  Nahum,  not  long  after  Sargon's  capture  of  Samaria, 
since  Nahum  himself  w^as  probably  one  of  the  captives  and 
died  in  exile  on  the  Tigris. 

"I  will  punish  the  fruit  of  the  stout  heart  of  the  king  of 
Assyria  and  the  glory  of  his  high  looks.  For  he  saith.  By 
the  strength  of  my  hand  I  have  done  it,  and  by  my  wis- 
dom." t  Thus  spoke  the  prophet  Isaiah  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord.  By  authority  of  the  same  Lord  of  hosts,  this 
prophet  declared  that  fire  would  be  sent  to  consume  the 
glory  of  the  kings  of  Nineveh.  A  foretaste  of  avenging 
power  was  given  to  Sennacherib  as  he  approached  Jerusa- 
lem. But  in  its  complete  form  was  vengeance  wrought  out 
upon  Nineveh  by  the  Babylonians  and  the  Modes. 

From  three  sides  at  once  destruction  closed  in  upon  the 
wicked  capital  of  the  Upper  Tigris.  The  last  of  the  Assy- 
rian kings,  known  to  the  Greeks  as  Saracus,  was  trembling 
on  his  throne  as  Pharaoh-Necho  marched  northward  from  the 
battle  of  Megiddo.  Ere  long  the  victorious  spears  of  the 
king  of  Egypt  were  flashing  along  the  bank  of  the  Euphra- 
tes. Necho  made  that  stream  for  a  time  the  eastern  boundary 
of  the  empire  of  the  Nile.  While  Saracus  sat  powerless  in 
Nineveh,  his  vassals  in  Babylonia  made  ready  to  throw  off 
their  chains.  Alliance  was  made  with  the  fierce  mountain- 
warriors  of  Media.  Nebuchadnezzar,  son  of  the  viceroy  of 
Babylonia,  drew  near  the  walls  of  Nineveh  with  the  army 
of  the  coalition.  In  despair  the  king  of  Assyria  assembled 
his  wives  and  his  treasures  in  the  royal  palace.  The  river 
Tigris  rose  to  a  great  height  about  the  walls  of  the  city. 
At  last  a  column  of  ascending  smoke  told  the  story  of  a 
capital  fired  by  its  own  ruler.  Two  centuries  afterward  the 
Greek  historian,  Xenophon,  at  the  head  of  his  retreating 
"Ten  Thousand,"  came  upon  the  ruins  of  a  deserted  city 

*  Nahum,  ch.  3.  +Isa.  20 ;  12, 13. 


THE  CAPTIVITY  OF  JUDAH  IN  BABYLON— 586  B.  C.        19 


on  the  banks  of  the  Tigris.  Above  the  site  of  Nineveh  he 
stood,  yet  he  knew  it  not.  A  meaningless  name  he  gave  to 
the  place  and  passed  on,  leaving  the  true  story  of  As- 
syria's glory  and  destruction  buried  beneath  that  desolate 
mound. 

The  Captivity  of  Judah  in  Babylon— 586  B.  C. 

The  second  act  in  the  great  world-drama  was  concerned 
with  the  kingdom  of  Judah.  Jehovah  sent  dire  calamities 
upon  His  chosen  race  because  they  trusted  no  longer  in 
Him  but  attempted  to  fortif}'^  their  kingdom  by  dependence 
upon  heathen  nations  and  heathen  gods.  AVhile  Babylonia 
was  growing  up  in  strength  before  the  fall  of  Nineveh, 
Judah's  princes  were  looking  for  help  to  both  Assyria  and 
Egypt.  "  What  hast  thou  to  do  in  the  way  of  Egypt  to 
drink  the  waters  of  Sihor  [Nile]?  or  what  hast  thou  to  do  in 
the  way  of  Assyria  to  drink  the  waters  of  the  river?  . 
How,  then,  art  thou  turned  into  the  degenerate  plant  of  a 
strange  vine  unto  me!"*  In  the  name  of  Jehovah  came 
the  prophet  Jeremiah  thus  to  remonstrate  v/ith  Judah.  He 
warned  them  that  God  would  bring  a  dry  wind  from  the 
east  to  wither  up  the  joy  of  the  people  if  they  turned  not 
from  idols  and  heathen  political  schemes  unto  Him.  They 
hearkened  not,  but  when  Nineveh  fell,  King  Jehoiakim 
sought  aid  from  Egypt.  Like  a  withering  whirl-wind  came 
Nebuchadnezzar,  fresh  from  the  destruction  of  the  Assy- 
rian capital,  and  more  recently  from  the  battle  of  Car- 
chemish,  on  the  Euphrates,  where  he  defeated  Pharaoh-Necho 
and  sent  him  in  flight  back  to  Egypt.  In  the  same  year, 
605  B.  C,  he  took  the  city  of  Jerusalem  and  bore  away  the 
vessels  of  the  house  of  Jehovah  unto  the  temple  of  Bel  in  * 
Babylon. f  In  his  train  as  captives  were  led  Daniel  and  his 
three  companions  of  the  seed  royal.  Jehoiakim,  the  friend 
of  Egypt,  in  order  to  save  his  throne,  renounced  the  alli- 
ance with  Pharaoh  and  swore  allegiance  to  Nebuchadnezzar. 
But  soon  this  puppet-prince  at  Jerusalem  began  to  plot 
against  his  Babylonian  master,  and  in  accordance  with 
Jeremiah's  prophecy,  was  murdered  by  Chaldean  bands  of 
invaders  and  was  "buried  with  the  burial  of  an  ass  beyond 
the  gates  of  Jerusalem."  +     Jehoiakim  now  began  to  rule  as 

•Jeremiah,  2:  18,  21.       +11  Chron.  36:  6,7.       tJosephus;  Jer.,  36:  30. 


20  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


the  vassal  of  Babylonia,  but  the  poison  of  political  trickery- 
was  strong  in  his  Jewish  blood.  An  Egyptian  alliance 
tempted  him,  and  then  came  Nebuchadnezzar  in  person  to 
besiege  the  city.  A  second  train  of  captives  were  led  away 
to  Babylon,  all  the  princes  and  all  the  mighty  men  of  valor. 
The  year  597  B.  C.  saw  this  staggering  blow  delivered. 

Zedekiah,  another  son  of  Josiah,  began  now  to  play  the 
vassal-prince  unto  Nebuchadnezzar.  With  the  same  old 
weakness  and  treachery  he  followed  in  the  path  marked 
out  by  his  predecessors.  In  reliance  upon  Pharaoh-Hophra 
he  broke  out  into  open  rebellion  against  Babylonia.  He 
burned  the  book  of  Jeremiah's  prophecy  but  could  not 
silence  this  old  patriot  and  messenger  of  God.  The  cup  of 
Judah's  iniquity  was  now  full.  The  prophet  sent  a  mes- 
sage of  consolation  to  the  people  already  captive  in  Baby- 
lon that  their  bondage  should  continue  only  seventy  years.* 
.Then  fell  the  judgment  of  God  at  the  hands  of  the  heathen 
conqueror.  Fire  and  sword  swept  the  city  that  had  placed 
its  reliance  in  fire  and  sword.  Heathen  friendship  had  be- 
come heathen  cruelty.  The  house  of  Jehovah  and  all  the 
other  great  houses  were  burnt  and  the  walls  of  Jerusalem 
were  leveled  to  the  ground.  There  was  left  in  Judah  only 
a  miserable  remnant  of  the  poorest  of  the  land  to  be  the  vine- 
dressers and  husbandmen,  f 

The  Overthrow  of  Egypt— 568  B.  C. 

"  Pharaoh,  king  of  Egypt,  is  but  a  noise  ;  he  hath  passed 
the  time  appointed."  +  This  was  the  opinion  of  the  prophet 
Jeremiah  concerning  the  Egyptian  kingdom  when  he  saw 
the  chariots  of  Necho  dashing  away  in  flight  from  the  onset 
'  of  Nebuchadnezzar  at  Carchemish  in  605  B.  C.  Out  of  the 
captivity  in  Babylon  was  heard  another  prophet's  voice  very 
soon  after  the  fall  of  Jerusalem.  "Thus  saith  the  Lord 
God,  Behold  I  am  against  thee,  Pharaoh,  king  of  Egypt,  the 
great  dragon  that  lieth  in  the  midst  of  his  rivers,  which  hath 
said.  My  river  is  mine  own  and  I  have  made  it  for  myself. 

"  But  I  will  put  hooks  in  thy  jaws  and  .....  I 
will  bring  thee  up  out  of  the  midst  of  thy  rivers  .... 
Behold  I  M^ill  give  the  land  of  Egypt  unto  Nebuchadnezzar, 
king  of  Babylon. "§ 

*Jer.,  ch.29.       +IIKings,25.       JJer.46:28.  gEzek.  29:  3, 4, 19. 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  KINGDOM  OF  LYDIA—546  B.  C.     21 


Nearly  twenty  years  after  Ezekiel's  prophecy,  Nebuchad- 
nezzar turned  aside  from  his  great  work  of  building  and 
adornment  in  Babylon  to  punish  the  pride  of  Pharoah- 
Hophra.  This  king  had  furnished  assistance  to  Zedekiah 
in  the  last  struggle  at  Jerusalem.  Now  he  fled  before  the 
Babylonians  to  the  extreme  border  of  his  kingdom,  far  up 
the  river  Nile  to  Syene.  There  the  power  of  Egypt  was 
broken,  Hophra  was  deposed  and  executed  and  Amasis  was 
made  a  vassal-king  of  Egypt  and  compelled  to  pay  tribute 
to  Babylonia.*  The  final  blow  to  Egyptian  ascendancy  was 
here  given.  In  525  B.  C.  Cambyses,  of  Persia,  came  like- 
wise into  the  Nile  country.  The  strength  of  the  kingdom 
had  been  somewhat  restored,  but  was  now  utterly  shattered 
at  the  battle  of  Pelusium  by  the  Persian  conqueror.  But 
the  eclipse  of  the  ancient  glory  of  the  empire  of  the  Pharaohs 
was  due  to  the  coming  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  conqueror  of  Nine- 
veh and  captor  of  Judah. 

The  Destruction  of  the  Kingdom  of  Lydia — 546  B,  C. 

Fragments  of  various  Asiatic  tribes  came  together  in  Asia 
Minor  to  form  the  kingdom  of  Lydia.  The  last  and  great- 
est king  of  the  dynasty  was  Croesus.  He  brought  beneath 
his  control  the  trading  cities  of  Ionia  and  became  thus,  in  a 
measure,  a  Greek  sovereign.  His  fleets  sailed  from  Ephesus 
and  Smyrna  and  controlled  the  commerce  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  hence  arose  his  princely  wealth. 

The  leading  clan  in  the  founding  of  this  kingdom  was 
the  Hittite.  But  long  before  the  establishment  of  Lydia, 
the  Hittites  possessed  an  empire  of  their  own.  Their  two 
ancient  capitals  were  Kadesh  on  the  Orontes  and  Carche- 
mish  on  the  Euphrates.  At  one  time  they  ruled  nearly  all 
of  Western  Asia.  They  fought  long  and  successfully  against 
the  empire  of  Egypt,  and  were  probably  the  leaders  in  the 
Hyksos  invasion.  But  their  power  was  broken  by  Sargon, 
of  Assyria,  a  few  years  after  his  capture  of  Samaria.  He 
captured  Carchemish  and  made  it  the  centre  of  an  Assy- 
rian province. 

In  their  last  seat  of  power,  Lydia,  the  Hittites  were  at- 
tacked by  Cyrus,  founder  of  the  Persian  empire.  About 
the  year  546  B.  C.  Cyrus  fought  a  battle  with  Croesus  on 

*Josephus:  Ant.  Jud.  X.  9,  §7.    Wiedemann:    Zeitschrift  fiir  Agyptische  Sprache, 
1878:  2-6  and  87-89. 


22  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


the  banks  of  the  river  Halys.  Sardis,  the  capital  of  Lydia, 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  conqueror,  and  the  sons  of  Heth, 
as  a  distinct  race,  were  soon  forgotten.  Babylonian  art  and 
civilization  they  had,  in  large  measure,  in  connection  with 
the  Phoenicians,  transferred  to  the  people  of  Greece.  But 
just  as  they  laid  aside  forever  the  sceptre  of  power,  Baby- 
lon's own  appointed  hour  had  come. 

The  Fall  of  Babylon— 538  B.  C. 

"  Babylon  shall  become  heaps,  a  dwelling-place  for  dra- 
gons"* cried  Jeremiah  when  he  saw  the  last  captive 
Hebrew  passing  away  toward  the  Euphrates.  From  the 
century  preceding,  Isaiah  had  thus  spoken:  ''  Babylon,  wild 
beasts  of  the  desert  shall  lie  there,  and  owls  shall  dwell 
there     ....     and  satyrs  shall  dance  there. "f 

When.  Jeremiah  uttered  his  prophecy,  King  Nebuchad- 
nezzar was  building  up  the  strength  of  Babylon.  Soon  he 
made  it  the  centre  of  an  empire  stretching  from  the  Tigris 
and  Euphrates  to  the  Nile.  Here  towered  the  greatest 
kingdom  that  the  sons  of  men  had  ever  yet  looked  upon. 
The  pride  of  this  king's  heart  was  likewise  great,  but 
Daniel,  the  prophet,  was  commissioned  to  humble  that 
pride.  In  the  vision  recorded  in  the  Book  of  Daniel, 
Nebuchadnezzar  saw  the  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain 
which  broke  in  pieces  the  image  of  gold,  silver,  brass,  iron 
and  cla}^  as  a  prophecy  that  God  would  establish  His  own 
eternal  kingdom  upon  the  ruins  of  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth.  In  another  vision  it  was  revealed  to  the  king  that 
his  own  empire  should  be  the  first  to  fall.  Daniel  himself 
lived  long  enough  to  read  the  message  of  Babylon's  imme- 
diate doom.  Into  the  banquet-hall  of  Belshazzar,  grandson 
of  Nebuchadnezzar,  was  the  prophet  summoned.  The  last 
of  the  line  of  proud  kings  had  impiously  used  the  sacred 
vessels  carried  away  from  the  temple  at  Jerusalem  as  the 
implements  of  his  drunken  feast.  The  hand  of  God  ap- 
peared to  write  on  the  wall:  "Thy  kingdom  is  divided  and 
given  to  the  Modes  and  Persians."  +  In  that  same  hour, 
beneath  the  walls  along  the  recently  drained  channel  of  the 
river,  rushed  the  army  of  Gyrus,  under  the  leadership  of 
Darius,  the  Mede.     Thus  closed  the  fifth  act  in  the  tragedy 

*  Jer.  51 :  37.  +  Isa.  13 :  19,  22.  X  Daniel  5. 


TWO  DISCOVERIES.  23 


in  which  empires  were  the  leading  figures.  The  Semitic 
race  gave  way  forever,  and  the  Aryan  began  to  rule  the 
world.  This  century  of  wonders,  at  its  close,  saw  Darius 
ascend  the  throne  of  Persia,  521  B.  C.  The  founder  of  a 
great  dynasty  was  Darius,  the  organizer  of  the  first  com- 
pletely centralized  government.  He  divided  his  empire  into 
twenty-three  provinces  or  satrapies,  and  among  them  the 
will  of  the  king  was  the  fountain  of  all  law.  Upon  the 
ruins  of  the  five  preceding  kingdoms  rested  the  corner- 
stones of  this  empire  of  Persia. 

Two  Discoveries — The   Decree  of  Cyrus   and  tlie  Book  of  the  Law 
of  Moses. 

Two  important  events  stand  as  sign-posts  at  the  begin- 
ning and  at  the  close  of  this'  era  of  national  decay.  The 
first  of  these  was  the  discovery  of  the  Book  of  the  Law  of 
Moses  in  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  by  King  Josiah  in  the 
year  621  B.  C.  The  second  was  the  discovery  in  the  palace 
at  Ecbatana  by  King  Darius  of  the  decree  of  Cyrus  of 
Persia  granting  permission  to  the  Jews  to  return  from 
Babylon  in  order  to  rebuild  Jerusalem.  *  The  discovery 
and  the  re-issue  of  this  decree  was  the  first  great  act  of 
Darius  who  came  to  the  throne  in  521  B.  C. 

The  decree  of  Cyrus  was  the  agency  employed  by  Jehovah 
in  raising  to  life  again  the  buried  kingdom  of  Judah.  The 
prophet  Isaiah  had  long  before  made  this  declaration:     "I 

am  the  Lord  that saith  of  Cyrus,  He  is  m}^ 

shepherd  and  shall  perform  all  my  pleasure;"  f  moreover,  ^ 
the  prophet  foretold  that  this  service  of  Cyrus  under 
Jehovah  was  to  be  rendered  in  the  re-establishment  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  holy  temple.  The  first  year  of  Cyrus  as 
king  at  Babylon  was  the  year  536  B.  C.  I  Then  did  the 
Lord  stir  up  Cyrus  to  make  proclamation  througliout  his 
empire  that  God's  people  should  return  to  Jerusalem  to  re- 
build the  house  of  the  Lord.  All  the  sacred  vessels  carried 
away  by  Nebuchadnezzar  were  given  to  the  first  colony  of 
returning,  captives  under  Zerubbabel.  Much  substance 
besides  in  gold,  silver  and  beasts  of  burden  was  furnished 
the  liberated  exiles.  In  the  following  year  635  B.  C.  began 
these    patriotic    Hebrews    to    rebuild    the    temple.  §      Just 

*  Ezra  6 :  1-3.  +  Isa.  44 :  24-28.  t  Ezra.  1:1.  §  Ezra,  3-8. 


24  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


seventy  years  was  this  event  after  the  first  seizure  of  some  of 
those  captives  and  some  of  those  sacred  vessels  in  605  B.  C. 
When  Cyrus  died,  his  royal  decree  was  annulled  by  suc- 
ceeding kings  until  Darius  began  to  reign.  This  prince 
made  search  in  Babylon  and  in  Ecbatana  until  he  found  the 
roll  of  Cyrus'  proclamation,  and  then  the  work  upon  the 
temple  was  resumed.  In  the  sixth  year  of  King  Darius 
was  the  house  of  the  Lord  again  made  complete,  *  and  this 
year  of  restoration,  516  B.  C,  was  exactly  seventy  years  after 
the  downfall  of  the  Temple  in  586  B.  C.  Thus  did  God 
make  use  of  Persia,  the  destroyer  of  the  previous  empires, 
in  restoring  the  kingdom  of  His  chosen  people.  That  cen- 
tury of  imperial  overthrow  was  all  of  His  divine  ordering; 
it  was  an  object-lesson  to  the  Jews  and  to  all  succeeding 
nations  that  He  holds  in  the  hollow  of  His  hand  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  earth.  This  same  divine  lesson  was 
taught  the  Jews  in  another  event  that  transpired  at  the 
very  opening  of  this  momentous  century,  621  B.  C.  In  the 
eighteenth  year  of  his  reign  King  Josiah  gave  orders  to  re- 
pair the  house  of  the  Lord.  While  the  work  was  in  pro- 
gress, Hilkiah,  the  priest,  in  a  secret  recess  of  the  sanc- 
tuary, "  found  the  Book  of  the  Law  of  the  Lord  given  b}'' 
Moses."  t 

The  documentary  theory  of  the  origin  of  the  Pentateuch, 
held  now  by  many  scholars,  finds  its  chief  corner-stone  in 
the  assumption  that  the  book  found  in  the  year  621  B.  C. 
was  not  the  entire  Pentateuch,  but  only  the  single  Book  of 
Deuteronomy.  Moreover,  the  development  theory  assumes 
this  same  position  and  goes  a  step  farther  in  asserting  that 
this  Book  of  Deuteronomy  had  been  written  only  a  very 
short  time  before  its  discovery  in  the  Temple  ;  that  Deute- 
ronomy was  the  second  document  in  the  order  of  development, 
the  prophetic  narrative  being  the  first,  and  the  priestly  nar- 
rative coming  after  the  return  from  Babylon.  These  two 
theories  are  based  chiefly  upon  the  assumption  that  Josiah 
found  only  the  Book  of  Deuteronomy.  This  assumption  is 
based  upon  the  two-fold  argument  (1)  that  the  contents  of 
this  book  as  described  in  11.  Kings  answer  exactly  to  the 
contents  of  Deuteronomy,  and  (2)   that  the  law  as  quoted 

"  *Ezra,  6:  15.  +11  Chron.  34 ;  14. 


TWO  DISCOVERIES.  25 


by  the  writer  of  the  books  of  the  Kings  is  the  law  as  given 
in  Deuteronomy.* 

This  position  cannot  be  maintained.  It  is  true  that  most 
of  the  references  to  Josiah's  book  accord  with  the  contents 
of  Deuteronomy;  but  some  of  them  do  not.  Moreover,  we 
have  an  additional  account  in  the  Chronicles.  The  com- 
mand that  the  priests,  assisted  by  the  Levites,  should  make 
ready  the  sacrifice  of  the  Passover;  that  these  ministers 
should  first  sanctify  themselves;  that  the  flesh  of  the  Pass- 
over feast  should  be  roasted  in  fire,t  are  details  not  found  in 
Deuteronomy,  but  in  Exodus  and  Leviticus.  Concerning 
the  second  point  that  the  writer  of  the  historical  books 
knew  Deuteronomy  alone  among  the  books  of  the  Pentateuch, 
the  details  of  the  Passover,  celebrated  by  King  Hezekiah, 
and  the  reason  for  that  celebration  in  the  ceremonial  im- 
purity of  priests  and  people  show  that  he  must  have  had  in 
his  possession  the  books  of  Exodus  and  Leviticus  as  well  as 
the  Book  of  Deuteronomy.  + 

It  was  the  Pentateuch,  and  probably  the  original  autograph 
of  Moses,  that  was  found  in  the  Temple  by  Hilkiah. 

What  are  the  facts  upon  which  this  presumption  is  based? 
They  are  those  connected  with  the  overthrow  of  the  great 
kingdoms,  whose  story  has  been  already  given.  Time  and 
again  in  the  scripture  histories  and  in  the  writings  of  the 
prophets  is  it  declared  that  those  nations  were  destroyed  be- 
cause of  their  violation  of  the  principles  of  the  Law  given 
by  Moses.  According  to  the  Scripture  narrative  which 
treats  of  this  century  of  doom  and  the  time  preceding, 
what  was  the  Law  of  Moses?  The  Book  which  Moses  him- 
self wrote  was  placed  by  the  priests  in  the  Ark  of  the  Cove- 
nant.! That  law  was  recognized  for  many  centuries  as  the 
voice  of  God  Himself.  The  people  chose  to  disobey,  and 
only  at  rare  intervals  they  chose  to  follow  that  law.  But 
their  records  are  clear  in  the  assertion  that  during  all  those 
years,  that  book  left  by  Moses  Avas  still  God's  law.  Thus 
came  the  downfall  of  the  Ten  Tribes  in  721  B.  C.  "  Because 
they  rejected  His  statutes  and  His  covenaiit  that. He  made 
with  their  fathers,   and   His   testimonies  which  He  testified 

unto  them Therefore  the  Lord  was  very 

angry  with  Israel  and  removed  them  out  of  His  sight."! 

*  Ryle  in  Briggs's  Higher  Criticism  of  the  Hexateuch,  p.  16.    +11.  Chron.  35,  and  II. 
Kiiigs23.    til.  Chron.  29  and  30.    §Deut.31:26.    ||  II.  Kings  17:  7. 15. 18. 


26  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


God  would  not  destroy  a  part  of  His  people  for  disobeying 
His  law  before  that  law  in  all  its  completeness  had  been 
set  before  them.  Israel  had  been  in  possession  of  the  whole 
Pentateuch  for  centuries,  and  she  was  destroyed  for  de- 
spising that  which  she  fully  and  clearly  knew. 

This  same  "  Book  of  the  Law  of  Moses  "  was  followed  by 
King  Hezekiah  in  his  reformation.  He  arranged  the  ser- 
vice of  the  priests  and  other  parts  of  keeping  the  feasts 
as  they  are  commanded  in  the  book  of  Leviticus.*  But 
King  Manasseh  rejected  "all  the  law  and  the  statutes  and 
the  ordinances  given  by  Moses."t  King  Amnion  followed  in 
the  footsteps  of  his  father.  During  this  period  of  evil-doing, 
of  idolatry,  when  the  Temple  of  Jehovah  was  profaned, 
some  priest  most  probably  hid  away  the  temple  copy  of  the 
law  of  Moses  in  the  recess  where  it  Avas  discovered  in  the 
reign  of  the  reformer,  King  Josiah.  At  that  time,  no  sur- 
prise at  the  discovery  fell  from  the  lips  of  Hilkiah,  the 
priest,  nor  from  the  scribes,  nor  from  Huldah,the  prophetess, 
nor  from  the  elders  of  the  people,  the  priests  and  the  Le- 
vites.  The  book  was  received  as  a  volume  well  known,  for 
it  contained  the  Lord's  ^^commandments  and  His  testimonies 

and  His  statutes and  the  corenmi^  of  God,  the 

God  of  their  fathers."  +  This  outline  takes  in  the  spirit  of 
the  entire  Pentateuch.  Entirely  arbitrary  and  altogether 
too  narrow  is  the  interpretation  that  would  confine  it  to 
the  book  of  Deuteronomy. 

But  this  law  was  not  long  kept.  The  reformation  of 
Josiah  marked  the  expiring  glory  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah. 
For  her  disobedience  to  God's  law  was  this  kingdom  doomed. 
It  was  concerning  Judah  that  Jeremiah  thus  spake  :  ''The 
Lord  saith.  Because  they  have  forsaken  my  law  which  I  set 
before  them,  and  have  not  obeyed  my  voice,  neither  walked 
therein.  .  .  .  Therefore  I  will  scatter  them  also  among 
the  heathen. "§  Jeremiah  foretold  also  the  fall  of  the  heathen 
because  of  their  scorn  for  God  and  His  people:  "Was  not 
Israel  a  derision  unto  thee?  "||  cried  he  concerning  Moab. 
"As  Babylon  hath  caused  the  slain  of  Israel  to  fall,  so  at 
Babylon  shall  fall  the  slain  of  all  the  earth." ^  All  the  na- 
tions that  went  down  to  death  in  the  century  following  the 

•II.Chron.29and30.    +11.  Chron.  33:  1. 13.    t  II.  Chron.  34  :  31,  32.    g  Jerem.  9  :  13. 16. 
II  Jer.  48:  27.    ITJer.  51:  49. 


Tiro  DISCOVERIES.  27 


discovery  of  the  Book  of  the  Law  of  Moses,  fell  because  of 
their  rejection  of  the  principles  of  that  book.  The  strong 
presumption  is  that  the  book  itself  was  the  complete  enun- 
ciation of  God's  Law,  viz.:  the  Pentateuch.  It  is  cojitrary 
to  the  teaching  of  the  Scripture  that  God  should  utterl};^  de- 
stroy great  nations  without  ample  and  complete  warning. 
The  theory  that  only  the  book,  Deuteronomy,  with  the  bare 
outline  of  the  history  of  the  Hebrew  race  in  the  prophetic 
narrative,  without  God's  revelations,  of  Himself  as  shown 
in  the  alleged  priestly  narrative — that  these  were  all  the 
written  parts  of  God's  law  at  that  period — is  a  theory  not 
in  conformity  with  the  facts. 

The  primary  assumption  underlying  the  development 
theory  is  that  the  religion  of  Israel  was  wrought  out  by 
the  genius  of  the  people  and  not  spoken  once  for  all  by  God 
at  Sinai.  The  natural  growth  of  religious  consciousness  is 
made  to  take  the  place  of  God's  gradual  revelations  through 
His  prophets.  It  is  denied  that  the  chosen  people  were  ever 
guilty  of  apostasy.  It  is  claimed  that  they  continued 
steadily  to  grow  up  into  the  realm  of  spiritual  truth.  *  But 
this  assumption  is  refuted  by  the  testimony  of  the  ancient 
monuments  that  the  chosen  people  did  make  alliances  with 
heathen  nations,  and  did  pay  them  tribute.  This  was  rank 
apostasy.  The  Ten  Tribes  were  made  captive  in  heathen- 
dom because  of  apostasy,  and  they  have  never  returned. 
The  kingdom  of  Judah  was  swept  from  her  ancient  seat 
amid  the  general  crash  of  empires  because  she  was  an 
apostate  and  had  become  as  wicked  as  the  heathen  king- 
doms. At  the  very  opening  of  the  era  wherein  Judah  was 
to  be  cast  into  the  pit  along  with  foreign  tribes  and  races, 
the  Word  of  God  in  the  Pentateuch  was  brought  forth  from 
its  hiding  place  as  a  final  appeal  and  warning  unto  God's 
chosen.  But  they  fell.  Out  of  that  great  apostasy  were  to 
return  the  few  whom  the  fire  of  punishment  had  separated 
from  the  dross.  All  of  these  were  devout  and  faithful,  and 
when  they  stood  once  more  in  the  sacred  streets  of  Jeru- 
salem, they  shouted  and  wept  for  joy  when  Ezra  read  to 
them  this  same  "Book  of  the  Law  of  Moses."  f 

♦Briggs:   The  Higher  Criticism  of  the  Hexateuch,  pp.  124-25.    +Nehemiah8:  1-2. 


28  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


CHAPTER  II. 
The  Civilization  of  Ancient  Egypt. 

WHILE  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  was  rising  out  of  its 
ashes  in  the  early  years  of  King  Darius,  the  canon  of 
Old  Testament  writings  was  almost  completed.  Fifteen  out 
of  the  sixteen  prophets  had  committed  their  messages  to 
parchment  before  the  year  516  B.  C.  A  century  later  the 
last  of  the  inspired  scribes  of  the  ancient  era  was  to  seal  up 
the  sacred  records  with  the  Book  of  Malachi.  With  this 
single  exception,  all  of  the  Old  Testament  books  deal  with 
the  history  of  the  Hebrews  prior  to  and  contemporaneously 
with  the  fall  of  the  great  empires  of  the  East.  The  divine 
revelation  which  is  set  forth  as  a  continuous  system  in 
regular  order  in  those  books,  was  given  through  God's 
special  ambassadors  while  the  Hebrew  theocracy  was  beset 
on  all  sides  by  the  power  of  the  Hittite,  the  Assyrian,  the 
Babylonian  and  the  Egyptian.  It  may  be  profitable  to 
glance  at  the  character  of  those  civilizations  which  came 
into  such  close  contact  with  the  chosen  people  of  God.  Two 
of  these,  the  Babylonian  and  the  Egyptian,  will  serve  to  in- 
dicate the  leading  features  of  all. 

The  Land  of  Egypt. 

The  Hebrews  gave  to  ancient  Egypt  the  name  Mizraim,  or 
"  the  double  land,"  while  the  natives  themselves  in  their  in- 
scriptions sometimes  called  it  Kamit,  "the  black  land."* 
The  latter  were  thinking  of  the  soil,  the  former  of  the  geo- 
graphical divisions  of  the  country.  The  dark,  fertile  de- 
posits left  year  after  year  by  the  overflow  of  the  river  Nile 
made  the  soil  a  rich  hot-bed  for  the  production  of  plant  and 
grain.  The  entire  land,  to  quote  the  phrase  of  Herodotus, 
was  "  the  gift  of  the  Nile."  A  vast  population  could  be 
supported  in  the  territory  of  this  narrow  river  valley. 

In  shape,  the  Nile  region  is  divided  into  two  distinct 
parts.  Upper  Egypt  and  Lower  Egypt.     Upper  Egypt  is  the 

*Brugsch,  pp.  5,6. 


THE  LAND  OF  Egypt:  29 


region  of  the  Nile  gorge,  where  the  river  is  shut  in  by  cliffs 
on  each  side.  This  part  of  the  valley  extends  for  six  hun- 
dred miles  from  Assouan,  at  the  border  of  Ethiopia  far  up 
the  river,  to  the  apex  of  the  delta.  This  long  vale  is  from 
two  to  eleven  miles  in  width,  and  as  one  proceeds  down  the 
river  from  south  to  north,  the  ranges  of  rocky  hill  and  cliff 
show  granite  at  first,  sandstone  near  the  central  part  and 
limestone  nearer  the  broad  plain  at  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
One  hundred  miles  from  the  sea  the  rocky  walls  recede 
toward  the  desert  on  the  west  and  the  Red  sea  on  the  east, 
and  the  river  spreads  itself  over  the  vast  triangular  plain 
called  the  delta,  seeking  the  Mediterranean  through  seven 
channels.  This  is  Lower  Egypt,  and  here  was  the  granary 
of  the  ancient  world,  a  vast  alluvial  plain  without  a  single 
hill.  Three  crops  during  the  year  made  the  husbandman 
glad  and  the  shepherd  and  the  boatman  rejoiced  with  him. 
These  three  classes  made  up  the  body  of  the  people  who 
crowded  into  this  earliest  seat  of  empire.  Protected  from 
invasion  by  the  river's  rocky  walls,  by  the  desert,  by  the 
Mediterranean  and  by  the  Red  sea,  and  open  to  access  only 
across  the  narrow  bridge,  the  isthmus  of  Suez,  the  kingdom 
of  Egypt  naturally  grew  strong  and  became  wealthy  in  this 
garden  of  the  East.  The  "double  land"  was  one  in  inter- 
est, a  fact  typified  in  the  double  crown  of  the  monarch,  a 
red  crown  surmounted  by  a  white  one. 

The  land  of  Egypt  has  been  compared  to  "a  narrow 
girdle,  divided  in  the  midst  by  a  stream  of  water  and 
hemmed  in  on  both  sides  by  long  chains  of  mountains."  * 
Again,  it  has  been  called  a  lily,  with  a  crooked  stem,  the 
stalk  of  the  lily  represented  by  the  long  valley  and  the  blos- 
som by  the  wide  plain  at  the  mouth  of  the  Nile;  a  bud  upon 
the  lily-stalk  is  found  in  the  basin  of  the  Fayoum,  just 
above  the  apex  of  the  delta.  There  the  Libyan  hills  break 
away  toward  the  west,  leaving  a  little  valley  covered  in  part 
by  the  Birket-el-Keroun  ("Lake  of  the  Horn")  about  four 
miles  wide  by  thirty-three  miles  long,  f  The  military  key 
of  this  land  of  the  Nile  is  the  point  where  the  blossom  is 
united  with  the  stem  of  the  lily.  Napoleon  recognized  this 
fact  when  he  here  won  the  victory  that  gave  him  control  of 
Egypt.     Mena,  the  first  king  of  Egypt,  acted  upon  the  same 

*Brug8Ch6.  tBunsen,II,335. 


30  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


principle  as  Napoleon  when  he  founded  his  capital,  Mem- 
phis, at  this  apex  of  the  delta. 

The  Egyptians,  like  the  Greeks,  claimed  that  their  first  kings 
were  a  dynasty  of  gods.  After  these  ruled  a  race  of  demigods. 
Then  first  in  order  among  the  dynasties  of  men  came  Mena 
of  Memphis.  The  traditions  concerning  this  prehistoric 
period  have  come  down  to  us  chiefly  through  ancient  Greek 
writers.  Herodotus  has  left  on  record  in  the  second  book  and 
in  a  part  of  the  third  book  of  his  history  a  strange  mixture  of 
fact  and  fable,  which  he  claims  to  have  received  from  the 
Egyptian  priests.  Diodorus  Siculus  made  additions  to  the 
vague  folk-lore  retailed  by  Herodotus.  Manetho,  an  Egyptian 
priest  of  the  third  century  B.  C.  wrote,  in  Greek,  a  history 
of  the  kings  of  Egypt  from  the  beginning.  The  original 
work  of  this  priest  is  lost,  but  we  have  synopses  handed 
down  through  Africanus  and  Eusebius,  two  writers  of  the 
second  and  fourth  century  A.  D.  Manetho  divided  the  en- 
tire line  of  kings  into  thirty  dynasties.  His  chronology  is 
imperfect,  since  he  probably  counts  as  successive,  dynasties 
and  individual  kings  who  were  really  contemporaneous.* 
As  to  the  real  date  of  Mena,  founder  of  Manetho's  first  dy- 
nasty, there  is  great  diversity  of  opinion.  Bockh  asserts 
that  the  date  was  5702  B.  C,  Bunsen  3623  B.  C,  and  Wilk- 
inson 2691  B.  C.  In  the  midst  of  such  uncertainty  we  can 
only  say  that  the  scattered  tribes  of  the  Nile  were  all  brought 
into  subjection  to  one  central  authoritj''  at  Memphis  about 
3000  B.  C. 

The  Pyramid  Builders. 

No  authentic  history  of  Mena  is  extant.  The  earliest 
reference  to  him  on  the  monuments  appears  on  the  Tablet 
of  Abydos,  made  by  Seti  I.  of  the  nineteenth  dynasty.f  The 
classic  stories  claim  that  Mena  came  down  the  river  Nile 
from  the  city  of  This,  which  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  nar- 
row valley;  that  he  built  a  dyke  to  turn  aside  the  stream 
from  its  channel  near  the  Libyan  hills,  and  then  on  the  west- 
ern bank  of  the  Nile,  close  to  the  cliffs,  he  founded  the  first 
capital  of  Egypt.  In  the  centre  of  the  city  he  built  a  tem- 
ple to  the  father  of  all  the  Egyptian  gods,  Ptali,  the  coun- 
terpart   of  the    architect-god    of    the    Greeks,    Hephaistos. 

*Rawlinsoii'3  Egypt.  II.  7.       fDe  Rouge  :  Recherclies,  p.  17. 


THE  PYRAMID  BUILDERS.  31 


Some  historians  even  think  that  the  classical  writers  have 
reproduced  on  the  Nile  in  the  person  of  Mena  the  legend  of 
Theseus,  founder  of  Athens.*  We  find  the  earliest  histori- 
cal certainty  in  the  inscriptions  left  by  Manetho's  fourth 
dynasty,  of  kings.  Here  begin  to  pass  before  us  real  per- 
sonages of  flesh  and  blood,  each  bearing  the  royal  appella- 
tion of  Pharoah,  "the  great  house,"  a  title  like  our  modern 
Czar  or  Emperor.  Three  of  the  kings  of  this  fourth  dy- 
nasty built  the  Three  Pj^ramids  that  stand  near  the  village 
of  Gizeh,  on  the  edge  of  the  desert  just  westward  from  the 
ancient  city  of  Memphis.  In  the  edge  of  the  sand-waste 
that  stretched  away  toward  the  setting  sun,  the  dwellers  in 
Memphis  had  selected  a  burial-place  for  the  dead.  They 
believed  in  the  resurrection  from  that  burial,  but  in  some 
vague  way  they  fancied  a  continuous  union  of  body  and 
spirit.  +  Hence,  from  the  earliest  times  they  embalmed  the 
bodies  of  the  dead  and  laid  them  away  in  tombs  cut  from  the 
solid  rock.  Most  of  the  kings  at  Memphis  brought  lime- 
stone from  the  neighboring  hills  and  red  granite  from  the 
quarries  of  Assouan,  five  or  six  hundred  miles  up  the  river 
Nile,  and  with  these  stones  builded  themselves  great  tombs 
in  the  sands  of  their  royal  necropolis.  Inscribed  on  the  in- 
ner walls  of  the  largest  Pyramid  is  the  name  of  its  builder 
Khufu,  or  the  Greek  Cheops,  of  the  fourth  dynasty  of  the 
Pharoahs.  The  height  of  this  "  Great  Pyramid  "  is  480  feet 
and  the  length  of  its  side  at  the  base  764  feet.  Within  this 
massive  pile  were  found  three  tomb-chambers,  and  in  the 
largest  of  these  rested  the  sarcophagus  of  Khufu. 

The  second  pyramid  was  built  by  Khaf-ra,  the  Chephren 
of  the  Greeks,  successor  to  Khufu,  This  tomb  is  not  quite 
so  tall  as  the  first,  and  stands  near  its  great  compeer.  The 
third  was  the  burial-place  of  the  next  king,  Men-Kau-ra. 
His  stone  sarcophagus  was  brought  out  and  dispatched  to 
England,  but  sank  with  the  ship  off  the  coast  of  Spain. 

These  three  pyramids  stood  in  the  city  of  the  dead  near 
Memphis.  Just  west  of  Khaf-ra's  Pyramid  stood  the  Sphinx 
— a  great  monster,  the  body  of  a  lion  with  the  face  of  a  man. 
The  lion  was  cut  from  the  solid  rock  of  the  Libyan  cliff  and 
looked  eastward.  Between  his  outstretched  feet  was  a  tem- 
ple.    An  inscription  gave  to  the  Sphinx  the  name  Horem- 

*  Rawiinson's  Egypt.  II. :  27.  I  Brusch.  p.  34. 


32  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


khu,  or  "  Horus  on  the  horizon,"  the  designation  of  the  ris- 
ing sun.  An  additional  inscription  declares  that  the  Sphinx 
was  known  to  Khufu,  and  hence  we  infer  that  it  was  con- 
structed before  the  building  of  the  Great  Pyranaid.  Dedi- 
cated to  the  returning  sun,  this  great  statue  stood  on  guard 
in  that  house  of  the  dead  as  a  symbol  of  the  resurrection. 
Around  the  Sphinx  were  upreared  the  pyramids  of  this  early 
time.  About  seventy  are  yet  standing  on  the  Nile  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Memphis.  The  Fifth  Dynasty  followed  the 
fourth  in  royal  power  at  this  first  capital,  and  then  the  cen- 
tre of  empire  was  transferred  to  a  point  further  up  the  river 
Nile. 

This  ancient  civilization,  which  began  at  Memphis  under 
the  Fourth  and  Fifth  Dynasties  was,  in  some  respects,  of  a 
high  order.  The  mechanical  skill  required  in  cutting  and 
placing  the  stones  of  the  Pyramids;  the  knowledge  of 
geometry  in  establishing  their  dimensions;  the  use  of  letters 
in  making  the  inscriptions — all  these  show  an  advanced 
stage  of  cultivation.  The  belief  in  the  resurrection,  the 
worship  of  a  definite  system  of  gods  in  the  numerous  temples 
then  erected,  point  us  to  an  early  origin  of  the  wisdom  and 
religion  of  the  Egyptians.  The  construction  of  such  vast 
piles  of  masonry,  on  the  other  hand,  indicates  the  despotic 
character  of  the  Pharaohs  who  handed  down  their  own 
names  at  the  expense  of  the  toil  and  blood  of  their  subjects. 
With  such  apparently  lofty  theories  and  tyrannical  prac- 
tices began  the  civilization  of  the  Nile  country  more  than 
3,000  years  before  Christ. 

The  Pharaohs  of  Thebes. 

The  line  of  ancient  kings  of  Memphis  came  to  an  end 
with  the  Fifth  Dynasty.  *  With  the  accession  of  the  Sixth 
Dynasty  the  centre  of  power  was  shifted  up  the  Nile  to  Mid- 
dle Egypt.  Perhaps  at  Abydos  ruled  these  monarchs  who 
now  for  the  first  time  controlled  a  united  kingdom.  The 
Memphian  kings  had  not  been  able  to  extend  their  sceptre 
with  supreme  authority  very  far  toward  the  Ethiopian 
borders. 

When  the  strong  monarchs  of  the  Sixth  Dynasty  passed 
away,  the  Kingdom  of  Egypt  suffered  disintegration.     The 

*Brugsch,  p.  46. 


THE  PHARAOHS  OF  THEBES.  33 


old  civilization  lost  its  hold.  A  period  of  darkness,  so  far 
as  historical  records  are  concerned,  enveloped  the  land  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  the  next  five  of  Manetho's  dynasties.  There 
were  three  capitals  instead  of  one. 

With  the  coming  of  the  Twelfth  Dynasty  we  find  Thebes 
in  the  seat  of  imperial  power.  Pharaohs,  bearing  the  names 
Amen-em-hat  and  Usurtasen,  made  this  city  the  centre  of 
the  world's  learning,  art  and  commerce.  Upon  both  sides 
of  the  Nile,  where  the  river  swept  through  a  great  plain  ten 
miles  wide  and  forty  miles  long,  was  built  this  second  capi- 
tal, Thebes.  Here  was  developed  a  new  civilization.  Usur- 
tasen I.  erected  the  first  great  obelisk  at  Heliopolis  as  a 
sign  of  his  authority  in  the  delta,  and  there  it  stands  to 
this  day.  On  this  shaft  of  rose-colored  granite,  sixty-six 
feet  in  height,  Usurtasen  carved  his  name  with  the  title: 
"  The  King  of  the  Upper  and  the  Lower  lands  .... 
the  Lord  of  the  double  crown,  the  ever-living  golden 
Horus."  *  Although  this  King  recognized  Horus  and  Ptah, 
gods  of  Memphis,  yet  at  Thebes  he  constructed  in  part  the 
great  temple  to  Amnion,  patron  deity  of  this  Upper  district. 
The  Romans  identified  this  god  with  their  own  chief  deity 
and  called  him  Jupiter-Ammon. 

Pharaoh  Amen-em-hat  III.  constructed  in  the  Fayoum  val- 
ley an  artificial  basin  which  Herodotus  called  Lake  Moeris.  f 
A  canal  drew  off"  water  from  the  Nile  to  fill  the  lake,  and 
this  became  a  reservoir  for  irrigating  the  other  parts  of  the 
Fayoum. 

Other  kings  of  this  dynasty  conquered  the  Ethiopians 
and  also  the  people  of  the  Sinaitic  peninsula.  The  copper 
mines  in  the  Sinaitic  hills  were  worked  and  commerce  was 
carried  on  with  Arabia  and  Palestine,  and  perhaps  with 
India.  This  new  civilization  was  utilitarian  in  character. 
The  former  kings  at  Memphis  had  sacrificed  their  people 
in  gratifying  their  own  vanity.  The  kings  of  Thebes 
sought  the  good  of  their  subjects.  They  were  satisfied  with 
humble  sepulchres,  and  Spent  their  time  in  the  development 
of  commerce  and  in  the  construction  of  public  works.  The 
Nile  was  carefully  measured.  The  obelisk  took  the  place 
of  the  pyramid.  But  in  boldness  and  vigor  the  architecture 
and   sculpture  of  this   period  was  inferior  to  that  of  the 

*Brugsch,59.       +  Herod  II. :  101, 149. 


34  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH, 


Memphis  era.  Moreover,  with  the  monarchs  of  the  Theban 
regime  arose  the  custom  of  identifying  the  Pharaoh  with 
some  god.  If  the  kings  of  the  Twelfth  Dynasty  did  not 
build  themselves  pyramid-tombs  they  deified  themselves. 
In  this  custom  do  we  see  a  great  deterioration  in  their  re- 
ligion. The  earlier  simplicity  was  abandoned.  Ammon, 
the  head  of  the  tribe  of  gods  at  Thebes,  became  identified 
with  many  of  the  former  chief  gods  as  Ra,  the  sun-god,  from 
whom  at  first  he  was  entirely  distinct.  This  was  a  long  step 
toward  the  confusion  and  debasement  of  the  wretched  poly- 
theism of  later  periods. 

The  Hyksos  Invasion. 

With  the  close  of  the  Twelfth  Dynasty,  the  Old  Empire 
of  Egypt,  which  had  grown  up  around  the  two  capitals, 
Memphis  and  Thebes,  passed  away.  The  Middle  Empire 
followed  the  Old  through  the  course  of  the  next  Five  Dynas- 
ties in  the  lists  of  Manetho.  This  period  is  the  dark  age 
of  Egj^ptian  histor3^  Nearly  all  contemporary  monuments 
have  been  swept  away  and  hopeless  confusion  marks  the 
chronology.  Revolts  and  assassinations  were  the  order  of 
the  day,  and  the  power  of  the  Theban  kings  was  ere  long 
snatched  away  by  numbers  of  petty  princes.  Toward  the 
close  of  this  period  the  Seventeenth  Dynasty  of  the  eastern 
delta  was  composed  of  a  race  of  foreign  invaders,  the 
Hyksos  or  Shepherd-Kings  from  Syria  and  Arabia.  It 
seems  most  probable  that  these  Hyksos  were  the  Hittites, 
who  afterAvards  gave  trouble  to  the  Pharaohs  of  the  New 
Empire.  The  god  of  the  Hittites  was  Set,  the  principle  of 
evil,  and  the  worship  of  Set  was  established  in  the  region  of 
the  delta  about  this  time. 

The  Hittites,  in  common  with  other  dwellers  in  Canaan 
and  Syria,  were  of  Hamitic  or  Cushite  extraction,  but  in  the 
very  earliest  times  they  seem  to  have  used  the  Semitic  form 
of  speech.  The  tablet  recently  found  (1892)  at  the  site  of 
ancient  Lachish  in  Southern  Palestine  by  Mr.  Bliss,  contains 
a  letter  in  the  Babylonian  dialect  dating  back  so  far  as  1400 
B.  C.  This  official  document  indicates  that  the  Babylonian 
language  was  in  use  in  western  Asia  not  ver}'^  long  after  the 
reign  of  the  Hyksos  in  Egypt.  But  the  dwellers  in  the 
hill  and   desert  regions  west  of  the  Euphrates   were  either 


THE  HYKSOS  INVASION.  35 


of  Cushite  or  of  mixed  Semitic  and  Cushite  extraction, 
like  Ishmael,  son  of  Abram,  and  the  Egyptian  wife.  Like 
Ishmael,  all  these  Highlanders  and  Lowlanders,  spoke  the 
Semitic  language,  which  may  in  part  explain  the  fact  that 
the  Ishmaelites  were  firebrands  among  the  nations.*  Blood 
and  speech  were  antagonistic  within  the  race  itself. 

Perhaps  of  this  composite  character  were  the  Hittites, 
leaders  of  the  nomads,  who  ruled  over  Egypt  for  more  than 
two  centuries.  At  Memphis,  Avaris  and  Tanis,  in  Lower 
Egypt,  they  established  royal  courts.  They  controlled  all 
Egypt  and  vet  permitted  a  line  of  native  princes  to  rule  at 
Thebes. 

The  names  of  two  of  these  foreign  kings  have  been  pre- 
served— Apepi  and  Nub.  In  connection  with  the  latter,  the 
approximate  date  of  the  dynasty  has  been  determined.  In 
Tanis,  the  capital  of  the  Hyksos,  a  memorial  stone  has  been 
found,  erected  by  the  Pharaoh  Rameses  II.  to  the  honor  of 
his  father  Seti  I.  The  memorial  begins  thus  :  "  In  the  year 
400,  on  the  fourth  day  of  the  month  Mesori,  of  King  Nub." 
From  other  evidence  we  estimate  the  probable  date  of  Ra- 
meses II.  as  1350  B.  C.  Four  hundred  years  before  this 
time  would  bring  us  to  the  year  1750  B.  C.  as  the  possible 
date  of  the  Hyksos  King  Nub. 

Further  than  this,  it  is  probable  that  the  Hebrew  Exodus 
took  place  in  the  time  of  Meneptah  II.,  son  of  Rameses  II. — 
about  1300  B.  C.  By  adding  430  years,  the  length  of  the 
sojourn  of  the  Hebrews  in  Egypt,  we  find  1730  B,  C.  as  the 
approximate  date  of  Jacob's  migration  to  Egypt.  This 
would  place  the  governorship  of  Joseph  in  the  time  of  one 
of  the  Hyksos  kings,  and  would  indicate  1950  B.  C.  as  the 
time  of  Abram's  visit  to  this  same  Hyksos  court,  f  The 
writings  of  Georgius  Syncellus  and  an  inscription  at  El-Kab 
corroborate  this  supposition,  by  indicating  that  Joseph  ruled 
at  the  court  of  the  Hyksos  King,  Apepi,  at  Tanis,  where  the 
Semitic  language  was  used. 

Like  the  Moors  in  Spain,  the  Hyksos  were  soon  driven 
out  by  the  founder  of  a  New  Empire.  But  the  native  kings 
of  the  Eighteenth  Dynasty  learned  man}"  lessons  from  the 
government  of  the  Hyksos.  These  wanderers  of  the  desert 
had    a    complete    military    organization   and  established   a 

*  Gen.  16:  12.    +  Brugsch,  p.  120.    Lenormant:  Manuel  d' Histoire  Ancienne  I, :  363. 


36  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


strong  centralized  government.  The  kings  of  the  next  pe- 
riod inherited  from  them  a  united  monarchy,  which  was  to 
extend  the  boundaries  of  Egypt  to  the  Euphrates  river. 
These  invaders  had  likewise  given  an  impetus  to  literature, 
and  the  new  era  that  followed  was  prolific  in  inscriptions. 
On  the  other  hand,  their  worship  of  the  god  of  Evil,  Set, 
w^as  thrown  into  the  boiling  caldron  of  Egyptian  creeds  as 
an  additional  impulse  toward  a  degraded  religion. 

The  Empire  of  Thothmes  III. 

The  paralysis  that  had  seized  the  princes  of  Thebes  was 
shaken  off  by  Aahmes,  "child  of  the  moon,"  who  led  the 
native  forces  in  insurrection,  drove  out  the  Shepherd  Kings 
and  established  the  greatest  of  all  the  Egyptian  dynasties — 
the  Eighteenth.  The  third  king  of  this  line,  Thothmes  I., 
followed  the  track  of  the  retreating  nomads  and  passed 
eastward  in  the  first  great  Egyptian  invasion  of  Asia.  Fire 
and  sword  he  carried  into  Syria  and  across  the  Euphrates 
into  the  mid-river  region  of  Babylonia  and  Assyria,  and  re- 
turned with  much  booty  and  many  captives. 

Sixth  in  the  line  came  Thothmes  III.,  chief  monarch  in 
this  famil}'^  of  conquerors  and  builders.  As  soon  as  he  had 
grasped  the  sceptre,  Thothmes  put  his  army  in  motion  to 
invade  Asia.  At  Megiddo,  the  future  battle-field  of  Necho 
and  Josiah,  the  Pharaoh  met  a  great  army  under  the 
King  of  Kadesh,  one  of  the  capitals  of  the  Hittites,  on  the 
river  Orontes.*  War-chariots  to  the  number  of  924,  with 
vast  treasures  in  precious  metals,  and  also  flocks  and  herds, 
were  taken  in  triumph  to  Thebes.  A  prolonged  festival  was 
celebrated  in  honor  of  Ammon-Ra;  concerning  these  cere- 
monies the  king  left  long  inscriptions. f 

Another  expedition  carried  him  beyond  the  Euphrates 
and  Tigris  and  made  him  master  of  all  Assyria.  For  many 
years  he  continued  to  carry  off  booty  and  to  receive  annual 
tribute  from  all  the  nations  between  Egypt  and  the  Tigris, 
including  Mesopotamia  and  Syria.  About  the  year  1600 
B.  C.  Thebes,  under  Thothmes  III.,  was  the  military  and 
commercial  capital  of  the  world. 

Thothmes  made  Thebes  likewise  the  literary  and  artistic 
centre  of  the  whole  earth.     The  great  temple  to  Ammon, 

♦Birch;  Ancient  Egypt,  p.  116.       +Recordsof  tliePast,  II.:  sections  53,  55. 


PHARAOH  RAMESES  II.  37 


begun  long  before,  was  completed  in  magnificent  style.  To 
the  east  of  the  temple  he  upreared  the  great  Hall  of  Pillars 
as  a  memorial  to  the  god  and  also  to  the  deified  ancestors 
of  his  own  royal  house.  Before  one  of  the  wings  of  the 
temple  were  placed  large  stone  statues  of  some  of  these 
deified  Pharaohs.  On  the  southern  side  he  erected  im- 
mense obelisks,  one  of  which  now  stands  in  Rome.  In  a 
chamber  connected  with  the  pillared  hall  was  the  "  Great 
Tablet  of  Karnak,"  an  inscription  relating  Thothmes'  view 
of  the  whole  line  of  Pharaohs  from  the  time  of  the  third 
dynasty. 

The  obelisks  erected  by  this  monarch  near  the  temple  of 
the  Sun  at  Heliopolis  now  stand  in  Rome,  in  London  and 
in  New  York.  At  Memphis,  Abydos  and  other  places  he 
built  temples  and  monuments,  and  from  one  end  of  the 
land  to  the  other  was  recorded  in  stone  the  story  of  the 
great  empire  of  the  Nile  in  the  time  of  Thothmes  III. 

The  great  works  of  this  monarch  were  carried  on  by  cap- 
tives taken  in  war.  Pictorial  representations  of  this  reign 
show  us  captives  making  brick  under  the  direction  of  task- 
masters armed  with  great  sticks.  This  has  led  some 
scholars  to  assert  that  these  toiling  slaves  were  the  Hebrew 
children  in  the  time  of  oppression.  *  But  the  weight  of 
authority  holds  that  Hebrew  forms  and  faces  are  not  de- 
lineated on  these  monuments.  The  mode  of  treating  cap- 
tives is  here  set  forth,  but  during  the  reign  of  Thothmes  III. 
the  tribes  of  Israel  were  probably  left  to  live  in  peace  in  the 
eastern  delta. 

Pharaoh  Rameses  II. 

On  a  wall  of  the  temple  at  Karnak  (Thebes)  are  ranged 
six  battle  paintings  descriptive  of  the  first  war  of  the  Nine- 
teenth Dynasty.  Seti  I.,  second  king  of  the  line,  but  first 
great  warrior,  goes  forth  to  meet  Egypt's  ancient  foe,  the 
Hittite.  At  that  time  the  Hittite  empire  filled  all  of  west- 
ern Asia  and  was  about  to  cross  the  isthmus  once  more  to 
seize  the  pasture-lands  of  the  delta.  The  New  Empire  had 
to  fight  for  its  life.  In  his  war-chariot  King  Seti  rode  out 
to  battle  against  the  shepherds,  and  he  stayed  not  his  vic- 
torious march  until  he  had  captured  their  capital  Kadesh. 

♦Hengstenberg:  Aegypten  und  Mose.    Scribner's  Magazine,  Jan., '94. 


38  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


By  a  treaty  he  extended  his  sway  over  nations  as  far  north 
as  Cappadocia,  in  Asia  Minor.  *  All  this  vast  kingdom  was 
left  to  his  son  Rameses  II.,  who  received  above  all  other 
Pharaohs  the  title  of  "The  Conqueror."  But  his  military 
prowess  was  exercised  in  restraining  the  rebellious  im- 
pulses of  the  subjected  Hittites  rather  than  in  making  ad- 
vances to  new  conquests.  These  enemies  hovered  continually 
like  a  great  war-cloud  just  beyond  his  eastern  boundaries. 
The  fear  that  the  Hebrew  people  in  Goshen  would  increase 
in  numbers  and  form  alliance  with  the  Semitic-tongued 
Hittites,  led  Rameses  to  those  stern  measures  which  have 
given  him  the  title,  "The  Pharaoh  of  the  Hebrew  Oppres- 
sion." In  Greek  legend  he  is  known  as  the  great  Sesostris. 
The  Boulak  Museum  at  Cairo,  Egypt,  holds  in  a  glass  case 
the  mummy  of  Rameses  II.  Since  the  year  1881  A.  D.  the 
men  of  science  have  rejoiced  over  this  captive  treasure  ex- 
humed from  his  burial-place  amid  the  lime-stone  cliffs  just 
west  of  the  site  of  ancient  Thebes.  There  in  the  very  heart 
of  a  mountain  of  rock,  in  the  Westminister  Abbey  of  the 
Pharaohs,  in  a  small  chamber,  had  his  body  rested  for  cen- 
turies by  the  side  of  his  father  Seti  I.,  and  the  bodies  of 
many  other  kings  and  priests  of  ancient  Egypt.  In 
numerous  winding-sheets  was  each  body  wrapped.  Upon 
the  outer  sheet  and  just  over  the  region  of  the  breast  of  the 
most  striking  figure  among  these  dead  kings  was  written 
the  name  of  Rameses  II.  Likewise  "in  black  ink,  written 
upon  the  mummy-case  by  the  high-priest  and  King 
Pinotem,"  is  the  record  affirming  that  this  casket  holds  the 
body  of  the  grand  monarquc,  Rameses,  the  son  of  Seti. 
"The  face  of  the  mummy  gives  a  fair  idea  of  the  face  of  the 
living  king.  The  expression  is  unintellectual,  perhaps 
slightly  animal;  but  even  under  the  somewhat  grotesque 
disguise  of  mummification  there  is  plainly  to  be  seen  an  air 
of  sovereign  majesty,  of  resolve  and  of  pride.  .  .  .  The 
corpse  is  that  of  an  old  man,  but  of  a  vigorous  and  robust 
'old  man."  f 

This  Louis  Quatorze,  of  Egypt,  lives  before  us  again 
in  the  literary  remains  of  his  time.  As  far  as  Kadesh, 
on  the  Orontes,  to  his  father's  battle-ground,  he  advanced 
in  the  war  against  the  Hittites,  and  his  personal  bravery 

*Brugsch.  248.        +  The  Century  Magazine,  May,  1887. 


THE  SUN-GODS-RA  AND  OSIRIS.  39 


and  narrow  escape  during  the  battle  there  have  been 
handed  down  in  a  great  Epic  poem  by  the  King's  hiureate, 
Pentaur.  On  many  a  temple  wall  was  this  Egyptian  Iliad 
inscribed  for  our  reading.  The  statue  of  the  king  was  left 
carved  in  stone  at  the  mouth  of  the  Nahr-el-Kelb  in  Syria. 
Wars  he  waged  against  the  Canaanites,  Araorites  and  Sy- 
rians, and  in  the  account  of  these  the  ancient  records  give 
us  the  political  reason  for  his  cruel  treatment  of  the  Hebrew 
tribes.  Raids  into  the  Soudan  country  were  also  made  by 
his  soldiers,  who  brought  back  thousands  of  slaves  to  work 
under  the  lash  in  the  erection  of  great  edifices.  Temples  to 
the  gods  did  Rameses  build  at  Memphis,  Thebes  and  Abydos. 
Colossal  statues  of  himself  were  set  up  everywhere  in  Egypt. 
Carved  in  the  rock  as  the  frontispiece  to  the  great  temple  of 
Abou-Simbel,  in  Nubia,  are  four  seated  colossal  images  of 
the  king,  larger  than  all  other  statues  in  Egypt  with  the  sole 
exception  of  the  Sphinx.  The  silent  figure  of  the  proud- 
faced  monarch,  guarding  the  rock-hewn  temple  of  the  god, 
and  with  eyes  fixed  on  the  rising  sun,  is  a  personification  of 
the  religious  civilization  of  the  Nile,  where  the  monarchs 
were  goddess-born,  and  proudly  claimed  to  be  sons  of  the 
sun. 

The  successor  of  Rameses  II.  was  Meneptah  II. — the  Pha- 
raoh of  the  Exodus.  At  Thebes  his  tomb  was  found,  but  the 
body  was  not  within.  In  great  strife  and  turmoil  his  reign 
probably  ended.  He  followed  not  the  example  of  his  boastful 
predecessors  by  emblazoning  his  victories  on  stone.  He 
gained  no  victories  to  record.  The  monuments  are  silent 
concerning  his  closing  years,  nor  do  they  mention  the  He- 
brews at  all.  This  is  entirely  in  accord  with  the  custom  of 
the  Egyptians.  The  destruction  of  the  royal  army  at  the 
Red  Sea  was  a  great  disaster  to  the  ruling  house — and  no 
disasters  were  ever  recorded  on  the  ancient  monuments  by 
those  who  suffered  them. 

The  Sun-gods — Ra  and  Osiris. 

The  Nineteenth  Dynasty  represents  the  period  of  greatest 
interest  in  the  history  of  Egypt.  From  that  time  onward 
the  rivalry  with  Assyria  and  Babylon  was  developed  until 
the  Twenty-Sixth  Dynasty  fell  beneath  the  blows  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar and  Cambyses.     But  during  the  reign  of  Rame- 


40  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


ses  II.  the  religion  of  the  Egyptians  reached  a  point  in  its 
development  which  offers  an  excellent  vantage-ground 
whence  we  may  observe  the  growth  of  the  entire  system 

Mr.  Renouf  has  examined  all  the  inscriptions  in  which  is 
used  the  Egyj)tian  word  for  "  god  " — nutar,  and  he  claims 
that  the  primary  meaning  thereof  is  power  *  This  is  the 
meaning  of  the  Hebrew  El,  and  the  Egyptian  term  nutar 
7iutra  indicates  the  Almighty  Power  in  heaven,  just  as  El 
Shaddai — God  Almighty — was  the  name  of  God  known  to 
Abraham  and  Isaac. f  But  the  Egj^ptian  nutar  referred  not 
to  a  person,  but  to  the  general  force  in  nature,  while  the 
Hebrew  El  was  the  name  of  the  God  who  was  seen  and  heard 
by  the  patriarchs.  In  its  earliest  form,  then,  the  Egyptian 
religion  marks  a  step  downward  from  the  knowledge  of  God 
as  He  was  known  in  Noah's  day,  while  the  Hebrew  religion 
of  the  time  of  Abraham  marks  a  step  upward.  God  revealed 
Himself  to  Abraham  again  and  again,  but  the  dweller  by  the 
Nile  forgot  all  about  the  God  of  the  deluge,  except  that  in 
the  unseen  world  there  lives  a  great  power. 

The  next  step  in  the  Egyptian  creed  was  the  addition  of 
personifications  of  that  power.  His  home  and  his  surround- 
ings soon  furnished  the  dweller  on  the  Nile  with  imaginary 
beings  to  represent  the  unseen  power.  The  powers  of  na- 
ture were  one  by  one  clothed  in  the  garb  of  deity. 

Egypt  was  only  a  narrow  strip  of  land  shut  in  between 
rocks  and  boundless  wastes  of  sand.  The  sky  was  always 
blue;  was  rarely  obscured  by  clouds;  from  year  to  year  the 
Egyptian  could  watch  the  daily  progress  of  the  sun  from 
the  moment  when  his  first  beams  came  shooting  across  the 
eastern  hills  until  they  were  swallowed  up  in  the  western 
desert.  When  those  bright  rays  were  thus  smothered  in  the 
unexplored  solitudes  of  sand,  the  Egyptian  saw  that  his 
valley-home  was  given  over  to  the  control  of  dense  dark- 
ness. But  out  of  that  prison  of  apparent  death  the  sun 
always  escaped  and  came  in  triumph  to  begin  his  morning 
course  once  more.  All  these  changes  in  nature  were  as  a 
parable  to  the  Egyptian,  telling  him  of  life  and  death  and 
the  resurrection  from  the  dead. 

There  were  other  changes  wrought  out  before  his  eye  that 
taught  the  same  parable  with  additional  force.     Within  the 

*  Renouf:  The  Religion  of  Anc.  Egypt,  p.  102.  +  Exodus  6:  3. 


TSE  S  UN-GODS -RA  AND  OSIRIS.  41 


limits  of  the  cliffs  that  walled  in  his  home,  all  was  life  and 
growth.  Plants  and  animals  teemed  in  that  fertile  strip  of 
soil.  But  at  the  edge  of  the  desert  the  touch  of  death  seemed 
to  rule.  Silence  and  barrenness  had  their  home  in  that 
waste  into  which  the  sun  sank  from  sight.  This  waste  itself 
seemed  a  symbol  of  the  eternit}'  in  which  dwelt  the  sun  and 
where  he  regained  his  life  and  strength. 

A  third  parable  was  added  to  the  other  two.  The  river 
Nile  was  the  source  of  a  hidden  power  that  lay  at  the  origin 
of  all  plant  life.  Wherever  the  waters  of  that  one  river 
came  in  their  overflow,  there  the  soil  gave  forth  rich  har- 
vests. But  the  power  of  the  sun  worked  in  harmon}'-  with 
the  power  of  the  river.  When  the  midday  beams  of  light 
and  heat  came  down  upon  the  alluvial  deposit  left  by  the 
receding  water,  then  it  seemed  but  an  instant  until  a  rich 
carpet  of  verdure  was  stretched  along  the  banks.  The  sun 
himself  must  be  the  power  whom  the}^  called  their  god  and 
the  Nile  must  be  like  him  in  character.  Thus  did  they  pass 
from  the  idea  of  an  unseen  power  to  the  worship  of  the  sun 
as  the  greatest  of  the  powers  of  nature.* 

Now  let  us  see  how  much  of  this  progression  of  ideas  had 
taken  place  in  the  time  of  the  kings  of  Memphis,  The 
seven  chief  gods  in  the  pantheon  in  that  earliest  capital 
were  if 

1.  Ptah,  the  Architect  of  the  Universe Hephaistos. 

2.  Ra,  Son  of  Ptah,  the  Sun Sol. 

3.  Shu,  Ra's  Son,  the  Air       Agathodaemon. 

4.  Seb,  Shu's  Son,  the  Earth Saturn. 

5.  Osiris,  Seb's  Son,  the  Sun  (after  his  setting) 

6.  Set,  Seb's  Son,  Darkness 

7.  Horus,  Son  of  Osiris,  Light Hermes  (?) 

It  will  appear  from  this  that  at  Memphis  the  chief  god 
was  still  the  hidden  power,  dwelling  in  eternity  as  the  ar- 
chitect of  the  universe  and  worshipped  under  the  name  of 
Ptah.  But  the  sun  and  other  nature-powers  were  also  wor- 
shipped as  the  sons  and  representatives  of  Ptah.  The 
Sphinx  was  dedicated  to  Horus,  the  morning  sun.  According 
to  our  first  knowledge  of  this  Egyptian  religion,  it  was  a  sys- 
tem embracing  manj^  gods,  wdth  the  sun  making  a  good  start 
to  attain  the  first  position.  There  is  no  evidence  to  support 
the  theory  that  the   Egyptian  religion   was    monotheistic. 

•Keary's  Dawn  of  History,  pp.  178-181.       +Brug3ch,  p.  12.    Cf.  Renouf. 


42  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


When  first  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  it  on  the  Memphian* 
monuments  it  is  already  polytheistic,  and  any  theoretical 
monotheism  that  may  have  existed  is  cast  away  and  forgot- 
ten in  practice. 

When  we  reach  the  Twelfth  Dynasty  at  Thebes,  we  find 
that  Ptah  has  lost  his  place  as  the  chief  god  and  Ammon-Ra 
is  the  head  of  the  pantheon.  Ammon  was  the  patron  deity 
of  the  city  of  Thebes  and  had  erected  in  his  honor  the 
greatest  temple  in  all  Egypt.  The  name  Ammon  means  "  the 
hidden,"  and  since  he  was  identified  with  Ra,  the  noonday 
sun,  it  would  seem  that  Ammon  referred  to  the  sun  after  his 
setting.  In  this  deity — Ammon-Ra — whom  they  called  "  the 
king  of  the  gods,"  their  Zeus,  the  Egyptians  at  last  wor- 
shiped the  sun  as  the  real  power  whom  they  had  revered 
from  the  first.  Ptah  was  still  worshipped,  but  even  to  the 
latest  times  was  known  as  ''the  Memphite  Ptah."  f 

The  multitude  of  Egyptian  gods  may  be  arranged  in  two 
clans,  that  of  Ra  and  that  of  Osiris.  Ra  was  the  ordinary 
Egyptian  word  for  the  sun,  and  as  a  religious  term  meant 
the  sun-god.  Unlike  the  sun  in  the  Greek  myth,  who  went 
across  the  sky  in  a  chariot,  Ra  was  borne  across  the  sky  in 
a  boat.  The  name  given  the  sky  was  Nu,  and  the  Nile  was 
its  earthly  representative.  Since  Nu,  as  the  home  of  Ra, 
was  called  ''the  father  of  the  gods,"  the  Nile  received  the 
same  title.     Shu,  the  air,  was  the  son  of  Ra. 

The  myth  of  Osiris  has  the  same  meaning,  although  it 
presents  a  more  elaborate  story  of  the  sun's  course  through 
the  sky  and  his  disappearance  in  the  shades  of  night. 
Osiris  sprang  from  Seb  and  Nut,  Earth  and  Heaven.  His 
sister  was  Isis,  the  Dawn.  From  the  union  of  Osiris  with 
Isis  sprang  Horus,  the  Morning  Sun.  Osiris  engaged  in 
deadly  conflict  with  Set,  Darkness,  but  was  liberated  by 
Horus.  Through  many  other  details  the  legend  went  on  to 
tell  of  the  great  struggle  between  Light  and  Darkness,  be- 
tween Life  and  Death.  This  was  the  great  contrast  stamped 
on  physical  nature  in  Egypt,  and  the  sun,  as  the  chief  actor 
in  that  routine  of  change,  was  made  the  chief  god.  On 
earth  the  King  was  the  sun's  representative.  In  the 
address  of  Rameses  II.  to  the  dead  Seti  I.  he  said:  "Thou 

*Lenorinant:  Manuel  d'Hist.    Anc.  1 :  522.        iBnigseh,  p.  235. 


THE  SUN-GODS— RA  AND  OSIRIS.  43 


restest  in  the  deep  like  Osiris,  while  I  rule  like  Ra  among 
men." 

Into  the  details  of  domestic  and  public  life  this  worship 
of  the  sun  was  carried.  A  minute  symbolism  was  devel- 
oped, and  the  life  of  the  Egyptian  soon  became  linked  to 
his  gods  through  the  medium  of  animal  worship.  The  ori- 
gin of  this  form  of  religion  is  not  certainly  known.  Mr.  Lang 
thinks  it  was  the  result  of  the  development  of  totemism.,  like 
the  creed  of  some  of  the  North  American  Indians.*  Others 
affirm  that  it  came  from  the  practice  of  finding  on  earth 
types  of  the  workings  of  the  unseen  power.  A  hawk  was 
the  usual  symbol  of  Ra  and  of  Horus.  In  the  time  of  the 
later  Persian  conquest,  animal  worship  had  become  the 
leading  feature  of  the  religion  of  the  Nile. 

One  further  step  in  this  downward  progress  must  be  noted. 
This  is  the  identification  of  the  Pharaoh  with  the  sun-god 
himself,  a  climax  of  vanity  reached  by  the  kings  of  the 
eighteenth  and  nineteenth  dynasties.  From  the  earliest 
times  the  kings  claimed  divine  origin  as  "  sons  of  the  sun." 
But  Rameses  II.  set  himself  forth  as  an  object  of  worship, 
and  in  the  inner  shrine  of  his  temple  at  Abou-Simbel  placed 
his  own  image  by  the  side  of  the  figures  of  Ammon,  Ptah  and 
Horus  ! 

Some  modern  scholars  insist  that  the  Hebrew  religion 
was  the  result  of  a  course  of  natural  development.  But  Ju- 
daism was  based  upon  a  series  of  facts  entirely  different  in 
their  character  from  the  foundations  of  the  Egyptian  reli- 
gion. The  latter  was  developed  by  the  imagination  of 
men.  The  Egyptians  began  with  the  knowledge  of  God 
as  their  ancestors  turned  away  from  the  Ark  of  Noah 
and  from  Babel.  They  lost  that  knowledge,  and  more 
and  more  they  deified  the  powers  of  external  nature. 
The  doctrine  of  a  future  life,  of  a  rersurrection  from  the 
dead,  of  a  trial  of  the  soul  after  death  by  Osiris,  who 
weighed  it  in  a  balance,  and  if  found  wanting  in  goodness, 
sent  the  soul  again  into  the  bodies  of  various  animals — all 
this  teaching  was  likewise  developed.  An  elaborate  system 
of  rules  concerning  right  and  wrong  was  set  forth  in  "The 
Ritual  of  the  Dead."  f  This  moral  code  was,  perhaps, 
superior  to  any  other  that  has  ever  been  developed  among 

*  A.  Lang's  Myth,  Ritual  and  Religion.       +  Bunsen. 


44  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


men.  It  raised  the  Egyptians  above  the  other  heathen 
peoples  of  that  time.  God  brought  His  own  chosen  into 
contact  with  that  race  as  part  of  His  course  of  training  for 
them.  Organized  government  was  here  at  its  best  among 
the  nations  of  the  earth.  What  effect  their  sojourn  here 
had  upon  the  Hebrews,  we  shall'see.  But  at  this  point  we 
may  ask  wherein  lay  the  permanent  force  in  a  religious 
creed  like  the  Egyptian  that  was  always  developing  doiun- 
wardsf  What  elements  of  it  could  be  seized  and  placed  in 
the  divine  faith  that  was  meant  to  be  eternal  ?  Everything 
in  the  Egyptian  code  was  transient  and  much  of  it  degrad- 
ing. Not  much  authority  could  be  vested  in  teachings  con- 
cerning the  gods  and  their  relations  with  men,  where  a  despot 
like  Rameses  II.  could  be  received  as  an  actual  god.  This 
low  point  of  degradation  had  been  reached  when  Moses 
was  preparing  to  lead  the  Hebrew  children  out  of  Egypt  to 
Sinai. 


THE  LAXD  BETWEEN  THE  RIVERS.  45 


CHAPTER  III. 
The  Civilization  of  Babylonia. 

The  Land  Between  the  Rivers. 

IN  the  highlands  of  Armenia,  the  triangular  plateau  that 
lifts  itself  between  the  Black,  the  Caspian  and  the  Medi- 
terranean seas,  two  great  rivers  begin  their  course.  The 
Tigris  breaks  from  the  hills  and  starts  away  toward  the 
southeast;  it  flows  along  the  base  of  the  Zagros  range  of 
mountains  and  thus  separates  the  Persian  plateau  from  the 
plains  of  western  Asia,  and  then  pours  its  waters  into  the 
Euphrates  just  before  the  entrance  of  both  into  the  Persian 
Gulf.  The  Euphrates  flows  westward  at  first  from  its  sour- 
ces in  Armenia,  but  soon  it  turns  southward  from  the 
Taurus  mountains,  and  then  southeastward  through  the 
Syrian  Desert  in  a  course  nearly  parallel  with  the  Tigris 
until  it  finds  an  outlet  in  the  Gulf  more  than  1,700  miles 
from  its  starting-point.  At  Bagdad,  the  seat  of  the  old 
Caliphs,  these  two  rivers  are  only  twenty  miles  apart. 

The  narrow  tongue  of  land  between  the  Euphrates  and 
the  Tigris  was  the  home  of  the  earliest  civilization  in 
western  Asia  and  was  known  as  Mesopotamia,  the  mid- 
river  country.  The  people  who  lived  here,  and  the  State 
and  church  polity  established  were  Semitic,  the  greatest 
and  best  known  among  the  Semitic  races  apart  from  the 
Hebrews.  The  one  governmental  name  applied  more  than 
any  other  to  this  district  was  Babylonia.  The  civilization 
was  stamped  with  the  seal  of  the  great  city,  Babylon.  And 
yet  there  were  two  great  Semitic  empires  and  one  Cushite 
that  rose  and  fell  in  this  land  of  Babylonia.  These  were 
the  Accadian,  which  was  Cushite  in  its  beginnings,  the  As- 
syrian and  the  Babylonian,  and  the  three  capitals  were 
Ur,  Nineveh  and  Babylon. 

This  long  district  is  divided  near  the  thirty-fourth  parallel 
of  latitude  into  two  distinct  regions — Upper  Mesopotamia  and 
Lower  Mesopotamia.     The  former  is  made  up  of  mountain 


46  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


slopes  and  rolling  hills — the  great  pasture  ground  of  the 
time  of  Jacob  and  Laban;  the  latter  is  the  great  alluvial 
plain  formed  by  the  deposit  from  the  two  rivers.  This  flat 
river-plain  is  about  100  miles  in  width  and  400  in  length, 
and  on  the  west  it  touches  the  sands  of  Arabia;  on  the  east 
it  extends  beyond  the  Tigris  to  the  foothills  of  Susiana. 
This  plain  encroaches  constantly  upon  the  Gulf  that  marks 
its  southern  boundary.  At  the  rate  of  one  mile  in  a  period 
of  seventy  years  the  alluvial  deposits  force  the  plain  upon 
the  sea.  The  capital  of  the  region  of  Upper  Mesopotamia 
was  Nineveh,  on  the  Tigris;  the  capitals  of  Lower  Mesopo- 
tamia were  Babylon,  on  the  Euphrates, and  Ur,  on  the  Persian 
Gulf,  for  at  that  time  the  waters  of  the  sea  had  not  been 
pushed  southward  by  the  alluvial  soil. 

The  Accadians. 

Dow^n  the  long,  narrow  region  of  Upper  Mesopotamia 
flocked  the  descendants  of  Noah  as  they  turned  from  Ararat, 
the  mountain  that  towers  up  near  the  sources  of  the  Eu- 
phrates and  Tigris.  In  the  northern  edge  of  the  alluvial 
plain,  on  the  bank  of  the  Euphrates,  they  upreared  the 
great  brick  Tower  of  Babel.  When  they  at  last  turned 
away  on  account  of  diversity  of  speech,  they  left  the  tower 
standing  to  mark  the  site  of  the  future  city  of  Babylon. 
The  Semitic  races  scattered  themselves  over  the  neighboring 
hills  and  plains  to  watch  their  flocks,  while  the  Hamitic 
peoples  started  westward  across  the  desert  to  build  the  first 
empire  of  the  earth,  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  or  to  plant 
themselves  among  the  rocks  of  Ethiopia  and  Southern  Ara- 
bia. This  same  energetic  race  w^as  to  send  a  detachment 
eastward  again  to  found  the  first  kingdom  in  Lower  Meso- 
potamia at  the  head  of  the  Persian  Gulf.  Nimrod,  of  the 
Cushite  race,  closely  related  to  the  people  of  Egypt,  erected 
in  the  "land  of  Shinar,"  or  Southern  Babylonia,  as  the 
foundation  of  a  kingdom,  four  capitals — Babel,  Erech,  Ac- 
cad  and  Calneh.*  This  kingdom  has  been  handed  down  by 
inscriptions  as  divided  into  two  regions — Sumir  and  Accad 
— and  the  ruling  race  called  themselves  Accadians. 

The  language  and  the  religion  and  the  physical  character- 
istics of  the  Accadians  were  non-Semitic.     The  exact  classi- 

*  Geu.  10 :  8,  10. 


THE  ACCADIANS.  47 

fication  of  the  language  itself  is  the  puzzle  of  modern  phi- 
lology. From  its  agglutinative  character  and  general  resem- 
blance to  the  Finnish  tongue,  some  scholars  would  call  this 
a  Turanian  language,  connected  with  Northern  Asia.*  But 
from  the  testimony  of  Babylonian  tradition,  from  Accadian 
words  of  Cushite  origin,  and  from  the  general  resemblance 
of  the  Accadian  or  cuneiform  system  of  writing  to  the  Egypt- 
ian hieroglyphic,  other  authorities  hold  that  the  Accadians 
came  from  the  mountains  of  Arabia  or  Ethiopia — home  of 
the  Cushites.f 

In  this  region  near  the  sea,  not  far,  perhaps,  from  the  site 
of  the  Garden  of  Eden,  the  Accadians  planted  themselves 
in  the  rich  soil.  Sheltered  by  the  multitude  of  palms  they 
gathered  crop  after  crop  in  the  same  season  and  established 
a  commerce  and  developed  a  literature  that  lay  at  the  basis 
of  all  later  Babylonian  civilization.  They  brought  with 
them  a  system  of  pictorial  hieroglyphics,  which  afterwards 
developed  into  the  cuneiform,  or  wedge-shaped,  style  of 
writing.  On  papyrus  and  on  clay  they  wrote  treatises  on 
religion,  science,  law  and  language.  Their  cities  all  con- 
tained libraries  stocked  with  books.  The  Erech  of  Nimrod, 
the  modern  Warka,  has  been  found  as  the  sacred  burial- 
place  of  this  old  race;  Calneh  is  Niffer,  not  far  from  Babel 
or  Babylon.  And  now  Mr.  Budge  holds  that  the  Accad  of 
Nimrod  was  the  ancient  Ur  of  the  Chaldees.J  Modern  dis- 
coveries thus  declare  that  Ur  was  the  capital  and  seaport  of 
the  great  Accadian  empire  that  grew  rich  from  commerce  be- 
fore the  Semitic  tribes  poured  in  to  take  possession.  These 
Semitic  people  adopted  the  empire  as  their  own,  and  the 
Accadian  religion  and  literature  was  absorbed  into  the  great 
system  of  civilization  that  now  began  its  course  as  the 
Babylonian.  This  earliest  Semitic  kingdom  was  sometimes 
called  Chaldea. 

A  cuneiform  cylinder  in  the  British  museum  suggests  the 
date  3800  B,  C.  as  the  beginning  of  the  reign  at  Agade  or 
Accad  of  the  earliest  known  Babylonian  king — Sargon  I. 
This  date  rests  on  the  sole  statement  of  Nabonidos,  of  Baby- 
lon, who  lived  554  B.  C.§     What  means  he  had  of  calcu- 


*  Sayce :  Anc.  Empires  of  the  East.  +  Rawlinson :  Anc.  Monarchies,  and  "  Essay  VI. 
to  Herodotus."  t  Babylonian  Life  and  History,  p.  28.  §  Babylonian  Life  and  History, 
p.  38. 


48  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


lating  the  date  of  Sargon  are  not  known,  and  his  statement 
may  not  be  correct.  After  Sargon  reigned  Ur-Bagas,  who 
built  in  the  city  of  Larsa  a  temple  to  the  sun-god,  and  in 
his  own  capital,  Ur,  he  built  a  great  temple  to  the  moon- 
god.  Thus  began  the  old  Babylonian  kingdom  in  the  cap- 
ital of  the  Accadians,  the  Semitic  people  worshipping  as 
their  chief  god  the  moon-god  of  the  Accadians. 

The  size  of  this  early  Babylonian  or  Chaldean  empire  was 
not  great.  Perhaps  one  large  Semitic  clan  established  itself 
in  Ur  and  ruled  over  Accadia.  Other  tribes  afterwards  be- 
came dominant  and  the  centre  of  power  gradually  moved 
northwards.  Larsa  and  then  Babylon  succeeded  Ur  as 
capitals  of  the  whole  country.  About  2100  B.  C.  a  Kassite 
monarch,  Hammurabi,  became  ruler  of  all  Babylonia.*  Ur 
had  then  perhaps  ceased  to  be  the  imperial  centre.  Not 
long  after  his  reign,  Abram  departed  from  the  city  of  the 
moon-god. 

The  people  of  Elam,  the  district  east  of  Tigris,  whose 
capital  was  the  later  Persian  city  Susa,  next  acquired  con- 
trol of  Babylonia.  Chedorlaomer,  an  Elamite  king,  ex- 
tended the  power  of  Babylonia  as  far  west  as  the  Jordan 
river,  but  was  there  defeated  by  the  patriarch  Abram.  After 
the  Elamite  rule,  various  factions  fought  for  the  possession 
of  Mesopotamia,  and  during  this  period  of  anarchy  Thoth- 
mes  I.  and  Thothmes  III.  of  Egypt  overran  the  country. 

The  Moon-god  of  TTr. 

Six  miles  west  of  the  river  Euphrates,  where  it  unites  its 
waters  with  those  of  the  Tigris,  among  the  low  sand-hills  of 
the  level  plain,  have  been  found  the  ruins  of  Abram's  early 
home,  Ur  of  the  Chaldees.  The  oval  heap  of  ruins,  1,000 
yards  long  and  800  broad,  is  called  now  Mugheir,  or  "As- 
phalt-city." Upon  the  summit  of  the  principal  mound  there  • 
stands  a  rectangular  building,  two  stories  in  height,  yet 
buried  in  its  own  debris.  The  lower  story  is  built  within  of 
sun-dried  bricks,  laid  in  bitumen,  but  enclosed  without  by 
a  wall  of  kiln-dried  brick,  red  in  color  and  ten  feet  thick. 
This  wall  is  likewise  laid  in  bitumen.  The  size  of  this  first 
story  is  198  by  133  feet.  Outside  stairways  led  up  to  the 
second  story,  which  measured  only  119  by  75  feet.     Red 

*  Babylonian  Life  and  History,  p.  42. 


THE  MOON-GOD  OF  UB.  49 


brick  is  the  material  of  the  inner  and  of  the  outer  walls. 
Less  than  half  a  century  ago,  according  to  local  Arab  tra- 
dition, a  third  story  surmounted  these  two.  In  size  this 
story  was  a  mere  chamber,  and  was  probably  the  shrine  of 
sin,  the  moon-god  whose  temple  this  structure  was.  In- 
scribed bricks  found  within  it  give  the  name  of  King  Ur- 
Bagas  as  the  builder.  This  town  of  asphalt  is  the  oldest 
seat  of  civilization,  after  Babel,  of  course,  yet  discovered  in 
the  lower  Euphrates  region.  Here  was  the  earliest  capital 
of  the  Cushite  kingdom  that  sprang  into  being  out  of  the 
fragments  of  Nimrod's  empire,  and  also  the  first  capital  of 
the  Babylonian  kingdom.  In  this  temple  assembled  the 
ancient  Accado-Babylonians  to  worship  at  the  altar  of  their 
chief  god,  the  moon.  Many  other  gods  had  the  Accadians, 
all  of  them  adopted  by  the  Babylonians.  The  sun  and  the 
stars  were  revered  as  controllers  of  human  destiny,  but  in 
the  imperial  city  was  kept  the  temple  of  the  chief  of  all  the 
gods.  These  early  dwellers  on  plain  and  mountain-slope 
were  a  star-gazing  people,  making  continual  observations  as 
they  w^atched  their  flocks  by  night.  Hence  it  was  that  the 
chief  luminary  of  night  was  the  first  god  in  their  pantheon. 
They  did  not,  as  we  do,  regard  the  moon  as  of  the  feminine 
gender.  A  masculine  deity  he  was  to  them,  and  the  father 
of  the  sun-god,  and  also  the  father  of  their  line  of  kings. 

The  moon-worship  of  the  Accadians,  or  Cushites,  after- 
wards gave  way  to  the  sun-worship  of  the  Semitic  desert- 
dwellers.  As  these  nomads  coursed  the  burning  sands,  the 
eye  of  the  sun  came  to  signify  the  divine  insight  of  the 
king  of  the  gods  into  the  affairs  of  men.  Babylon  and 
other  cities  became  the  great  centres  of  sun-worship,  but 
the  moon  alw^ays  retained  a  high  place  in  the  Babylonian 
pantheon.  We  have  an  inscription  telling  how  Nebuchad- 
nezzar boasted  of  rebuilding  the  temple  of  sin,  the  moon- 
god. 

Even  in  the  time  of  Abram,  about  two  thousand  years 
B.  C,  Ur  was  a  comparatively  ancient  city.  Its  commer- 
cial prestige  still  remained,  for  the  alluvial  deposit  of  the 
river  had  not  yet  pushed  the  Persian  Gulf  so  far  down 
toward  the  south  as  at  present.  But  an  air  of  antiquity 
lingered  about  this  old  capital  of  the  Cushite  founders  and 
the  worship  of  the  moon  was  sacred  even  to  Semitic  hearts 
4 


50  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


both  on  account  of  her  benignant  rays  and  of  her  long-estab- 
lished respectability.  But  the  god,  or  spirit  of  the  sky, 
who  used  the  disk  of  the  moon  as  his  face-mask  was  not  un- 
connected with  other  deities.  He  was  the  father  of  the 
sun-god  and  permitted  a  minor  influence  to  the  king  of 
day.  The  early  Babylonian  legends  named  the  goddess 
Istar  as  the  daughter  of  the  moon-god.  Istar  was  the 
"  spirit "  of  the  planet  Venus,  and  was  the  chief  Accadian 
goddess.  As  the  evening  star  she  was  known  as  Istar  of 
Erech,  as  the  morning  star  she  was  worshipped  at  Accad,  or 
Ur.  She  was  "the  lady  of  battles"  and  the  goddess  of  love, 
and  often  invoked  as  "the  queen  of  heaven,"  At  Erech 
was  her  chief  temple  in  those  old  days,  and  the  rites  cele- 
brated in  her  honor  were  a  mass  of  unmitigated  horrors. 
In  later  times  she  became  the  Ashtoreth  or  Astarte  of  the 
Canaanites  and  the  Aphrodite  of  the  Greeks.  When 
Solomon  set  up  the  worship  of  "  Ashtoreth  the  abomination 
of  the  Zidonians,"  *  which  became  a  thing  of  horror  unto  all 
the  prophets,  he  was  simply  instituting  those  superstitious 
orgies  that  blotted  the  land  whence  God  called  Abram. 
Degrading  to  the  body  and  damning  to  the  soul  was  this 
worship  of  the  heavenly  bodies  whose  centre  was  at  Ur. 
The  waxing  and  the  waning  of  the  chief  luminary  of  night 
and  the  kindly  influence  of  her  rays  was  the  nearest  ap- 
proach to  personality  in  the  nature  of  the  spirits  of  the 
unseen  world,  according  to  the  conception  of  these  heathen 
countrymen  and  kinsmen  of  the  father  of  the  chosen  race. 

Assjrrian  and  Babylonian  Kings. 

Asshur,  son  of  Shem,  built  the  city  of  Asshur  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Tigris,  and  hence  came  the  name  Assyria 
as  applied  to  the  northern  part  of  Mesopotamia.  The  mar- 
ginal rendering  of  Gen.  10:  11,  indicates  that  Nimrod  went 
into  Assyria  and  founded  Nineveh;  this  accords  with  the 
tradition  handed  down  by  Herodotus  (1:  7)  that  Ninus,  son 
of  Belus,  founder  of  Babylon,  was  the  builder  of  Nineveh. 
As  in  the  case  of  Ur,  the  Semites  soon  rushed  in  to  possess 
and  absorb  the  Cushite  Kingdom. 

The  inscriptions  are  minute  in  giving  details  of  certain 
periods  of  the  story  of  Assyria  and  later  Babylonia.     Hero- 

*  II  Kings,  23. 


ASSYRIAN  AND  BABYLONIAN  KINGS.  51 


dotus  gives  only  scant  notices.  Ctesias  of  Cnidos  has  re- 
corded many  myths  and  legends.  Berosus,  priest  of  Bel  at 
Babylon,  in  the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great,  arranged  the 
kings  of  all  Babylonia  in  dynasties,  like  the  historical  work 
of  Manetho  of  Egypt.  But  in  1862,  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson  dis- 
covered fragments  of  tablets  showing  the  royal  dynasties  of 
Assyria,  called  "the  eponym  canon"  of  Assyria.*  This 
canon  establishes  a  definite  chronology  for  this  country 
from  1330  B.  C.  to  620  B.  C.  In  1330  B.  C.  Assyria  was  a 
strong  and  mighty  empire  under  Rimmon-Nirari  I.  This 
king  has  left  an  inscription  telling  of  his  conquests  in 
Mesopotamia.  In  his  time,  or  a  little  later,  Assyria  con- 
quered Babylonia  and  became  the  centre  of  power  in  West- 
ern Asia.  This  was  about  the  period  of  the  Hebrew  exodus 
from  Egypt. 

The  Babylonian  empire  that  began  its  course  upon  the 
ruins  of  Accadia  at  Ur  was  not  powerful  in  arms  until  after 
the  destruction  of  Nineveh.  But  from  the  first,  the  Baby- 
lonians were  a  nation  of  scholars  and  agriculturists.  They 
made  constant  use  of  the  Accadian  cuneiform  style  of  wri- 
ting. They  developed  an  extensive  religious  and  scientific 
literature.  A  complete  system  of  civilization  grew  up  on 
the  banks  of  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  elaborated  in  codes 
and  creeds.  About  the  year  1450  B.  C,  while  Israel  was  in 
Egypt,  the  King  of  Babylon  and  the  King  of  Assyria  en- 
tered into  covenant  with  each  other  concerning  the  bounda- 
ries of  their  kingdoms.  This  contract  was  written  on  a 
tablet  in  the  Babylonian  dialect  and  remains  to  this  day. 

The  Assyrians  were  a  nation  of  warriors.  More  fero- 
cious were  they  than  any  other  Eastern  people  of  that 
period.  Their  art  and  their  literature  and  their  reli- 
gion were  borrowed  from  the  Babylonians.  Nineveh 
was  only  another  capital  of  Babylonia  itself — the  great 
military  centre  of  the  empire — as  Ur  was  the  first 
and  Babylon  the  last  literary  and  religious  centre.  It 
was  during  the  time  of  Assyria's  growing  ascendancy 
over  this  Semitic  empire,  about  1600  B.  C,  that  Thoth- 
mes  HI.  overran  Naharain,  or  Mesopotamia,  and  cap- 
tured the  city  of  Nineveh  itself.  He  carried  away  to  Egypt 
princes  of  Asshur,   cattle,  silver,   gold,   war-chariots,   ivory 

*  Babylon,  Life  and  History,  pp.  35,  36. 


52  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


and  precious  stones,  costly  inlaid  work  and  fine  cloth  and 
armor.  To  such  extent  had  Babylon  developed  long  before 
the  time  of  Moses.*  As  a  representative  of  the  magicians 
of  Babylonia  came  Balaam  westward  to  curse  Israel,  just 
about  the  time  of  Rimmon-Nirari  I.,  1330  B.  C.  From  a 
tablet  inscribed  by  this  king  we  copy  a  curse  pronounced 
against  his  enemy,  similar  to  the  curses  that  gave  Balaam 
his  fame: 

"  The  great  gods,  the  spirit  of  heaven, 

And  the  spirit  of  earth  in  their  ministry, 
Mightily  may  they  injure  him,  and 

With  a  grievous  curse,  quickly 
May  they  curse  him ;  his  name, 

His  seed,  his  forces,  and  his  family  in  the  land 
May  they  destroy : 

The  glory  of  his  country,  the  duration  of  his  people 
And  his  landmarks."! 

These  glimpses  reveal  some  of  the  cultivation  and  some 
of  the  power  that  belonged  to  the  Babylonians  prior  to  the 
era  of  Moses.  With  their  subsequent  history  we  are  not 
here  concerned,  except  to  give  a  passing  view  of  the  collec- 
tion of  inscriptions  that  were  buried  in  the  ruins  of  Ur,  of 
Nineveh,  and  of  Babylon.  Already  have  we  learned  of  the 
zeal  of  the  early  Accadian  and  Babylonian  kings  in  leaving 
records  of  their  deeds  in  the  first  imperial  city — Ur.  Now, 
let  us  search  out  the  story  of  Nineveh's  scholar-tyrant — As- 
shur-bani-pal,  and  of  Babylon's  builder,  historian  and  King 
— Nebuchadnezzar. 

Asshur-bani-pal. 

Assyria,  as  left  by  Rimmon-Nirari  I.,  might  have  ad- 
vanced into  Palestine  to  destroy  the  tribes  of  Israel  just  then 
entering  their  promised  home.  But  for  several  generations 
civil  war  raged  in  Babylonia.  The  princes  of  Babylon  made 
continual  assaults  against  the  kings  of  Nineveh.  The  chosen 
nation  under  Joshua  and  the  Judges  was  given  time  to  grow. 
Two  centuries  after  they  had  crossed  the  Jordan,  Nineveh 
began  again  to  extend  her  power  under  Tiglath-Pileser  I. 
He  carried  the  arms  of  Assyria  as  far  west  as  Cilicia ;  he 
defeated  the  Hittites  on  the  upper  Euphrates  ;  he  made  re- 
bellious Babylon  to  feel  the  strength  of  his  despotism.  He 
might  then  have  made  Israel  subject  to  himself,  but  in  1100 

*Brugsch,  p.  163-5.       +  Babylonian  Life  and  History,  p.  48. 


ASSEUR-BANI-PAL.  53 


B.  C,  five  years  before  the  accession  of  King  Saul,  death 
carried  Tiglatli-Pileser  away.  After  liim  at  Nineveh  ruled 
a  line  of  weak-minded  Kings  ;  Babylon  again  fought  for 
independence,  and  thus  was  opportunity  given  for  the  ex- 
tension of  the  Hebrew  Kingdom  under  David  and  Solomon. 
By  the  time  that  Assyria  again  grasped  her  sword  for  conquest 
westward  of  the  Euphrates,  the  Hebrew  tribes  had  been  trained 
to  trust  in  the  arm  of  Jehovah.  Shalmaneser  II.  (858-823 
B.  C.)  kept  Babylon  quiet  by  means  of  a  treaty  while  he 
overcame  the  neighboring  kings,  one  of  whom  was  Jehu, 
King  of  Israel,  who  forgot  to  ask  aid  from  the  God  of  Israel. 
A  century  later  Sargon,  of  Assyria,  captured  Samaria  and 
carried  captive  the  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel ;  he  also  defeated 
Merodach-Baladan  and  captured  Babylon  and  established 
there  an  Assyrian  viceroy  ;  likewise  did  he  defeat  the  army 
of  the  ruling  Pharaoh  and  collect  tribute  from  Egypt.  Sar- 
gon's  son,  Sennacherib,  waged  long  w^ars  against  Babylon, 
yet  struggling  for  independence;  and  it  was  Sennacherib's 
host  that  felt  the  destroying  power  of  Jehovah's  angel  in 
the  time  of  King  Hezekiah.  Sargon,  haughty  and  cruel, 
wreaked  stern  vengeance  upon  Babylon.  All  her  ancient 
temples,  her  towers  and  walls,  were  torn  down  and  cast  into 
the  river;  Babylon's  great  libraries,  filled  with  the  accumu- 
lated learning  of  the  past  from  the  time  of  the  Accadians, 
were  all  pillaged.  The  wonderful  palace  built  by  Sargon  at 
Khorsabad,  ten  miles  from  Nineveh,  was  not  sufficient  ex- 
piation for  the  ruin  wrought  among  the  artistic  and  literary 
treasures  at  Babylon.  Sargon's  great-grandson,  Asshur- 
bani-pal,  was  the  last  great  King  of  Assyria,  and  his  chief  w^ork 
was  to  restore  the  libraries  of  Babylonia  from  the  fragments 
left  by  Sargon's  cruel  vandalism.  This  king  was  the  Louis 
XIV.  of  Assyria,  and  was  known  to  the  Greeks  in  the  legend 
of  Sardanapalus.  He  was  a  great  conqueror — and  kept  his 
lieutenants  busy  in  holding  in  subjection  the  provinces  of  his 
empire.  Egypt  became  rebellious  and  was  invaded  twice — 
the  second  time  by  the  King  in  person.  He  captured  Mem- 
phis and  Thebes,  and  destroyed  the  walls  of  the  latter  city, 
tore  down  her  temples  and  carried  away  the  palace-gates  as 
trophies  to  Nineveh.  The  voice  of  the  prophet  Nahum 
greeted  him  on  his  return  with  the   prophecy  that  his  own 


54  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Nineveh — "  city  of  bloods  !  " — should   suffer  the  same  ruin 
inflicted  upon  Thebes, 

While  Asshur-bani-pal  was  thus  holding  his  empire  to- 
gether he  was  completing  a  greater  work.  His  palaces  ex- 
celled in  splendor  those  of  any  other  Assyrian  monarch. 
But  his  patronage  of  learning  was  his  leading  passion.  He 
seems  to  have  gloried  in  the  fact  that  he  had  been  crowned 
at  Babylon  as  the  successor  of  the  old  Accadian  kings.  He 
sent  his  scribes  to  all  the  ancient  cities  and  libraries  of  Baby- 
lonia. Accadian  and  Babylonian  inscriptions  were  copied, 
and  a  great  library  at  Nineveh  was  filled  with  the  clay 
tablets.  The  fragments  left  by  Sargon  w^ere  collected. 
When  he  had  completed  this  collection  of  national  records 
the  empire  was  already  slipping  from  his  grasp.  Babylon 
had  gained  vigor  from  her  long  struggles  and  was  soon  to 
be  triumphant.  Asshur-bani-pal  closed  the  door  upon  his 
treasury  of  inscriptions  just  in  time  for  it  to  be  buried  be- 
neath the  ruins  of  Nineveh,  there  to  wait  until  the  spade  of 
the  excavator  of  our  own  century  should  call  forth  this  wit- 
ness of  the  past. 

Nebuchadnezz  ar. 

Nebuchadnezzar  was  the  leader  of  the  Medo-Babylonian 
army  that  destroyed  Nineveh.  When  he  came  to  the  throne, 
in  604  B.  C,  he  began  to  rebuild  the  city  which  Sargon  had 
shattered.  In  addition  to  his  conquests,  Nebuchadnezzar 
was  the  author  of  all  of  Babylon's  magnificence.  The  great 
mass  of  brick  found  in  the  ruins  of  the  city  to-day  have  his 
name  stamped  upon  them.  As  corroboration  of  the  King's 
boast,  recorded  in  Daniel  4  :  30,  this  inscription,  bearing  his 
name,  has  been  found  :  "  I  say  it,  I  have  built  the  great 
house  which  is  the  centre  of  Babylon  for  the  seat  of  my 
rule  in  Babylon."* 

Two  cylinders  brought  to  the  British  Museum  in  1878 
contain  an  outline  of  his  works  at  Babylon,  recorded  by  his 
own  command.  First  among  these  was  the  temple  to  Mero- 
dach,  chief  god  of  the  Babylonians,  built  with  four  great 
gates.  Next  in  order  he  constructed  a  double  wall  around 
the  city.  A  great  canal  was  dug  connecting  the  Euphrates 
and  Tigris  ;  extensive  quays  were  made   along  the  river's 

*Buddensieg  :  Die  Assyrischen  Ausgrabungen  u.  d.  A.  T. 


Nebuchadnezzar:,  55 


edge.  A  vast  reservoir  was  constructed  to  furnish  a  supply 
of  water  for  irrigating  the  level  plain  ;  the  hanging  gardens 
were  made  on  terraced  mounds.  In  other  cities  of  Baby- 
lonia he  erected  great  numbers  of  temples,  walls  and  public 
buildings.     For  he  proceeds  to  say  : 

"  The  temple  of  the  Sun,  the  temple  of  the  Sun-god  of  Sippara ; 

The  temple  of  the  eyes  of  the  god  Anu,  the  temple  of  the  god  Dar  of 

the  city  of  the  planet  Venus  ; 
The  temple  of  heaven,  the  temple  of  Istar  of  Erech  ; 
The  temple  of  the  Sun,  the  temple  of  the  Sun-god  of  Larsa ; 
The  temple  of  Kis-kur-gal,  the  temple  of  the  Moon-god  of  Ur, 
These  temples  of  the  great  gods, 
I  rebuilt,  and  I  caused  their  beautiful  adornments  to  be  completed."* 

In  this  same  inscription  occurs  this  statement  : 

"  The  temple,  the  foundation  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  tower  of  Babel, 
I  built  anew."t 

Eight  or  nine  miles  westward  from  the  site  of  ancient 
Babylon,  a  huge  mound  like  an  oblique  pyramid  lifts  itself 
153  feet  above  the  plain.  A  large  mass  of  brickwork  is  on 
the  top.  The  structure  was  originally  built  in  seven  stages ; 
the  first  three  stages,  each  26  feet  in  height,  the  last  four 
only  15  feet  each  in  height.  The  lower  stage  is  272  feet 
square;  each  succeeding  stage  is  square  but  smaller,  the  last 
one  having  dimensions  of  only  20  feet.  Each  of  these  stages 
was  given  a  distinct  color  by  means  of  glazed  brick.  The 
upper  was  silver-colored  and  was  dedicated  to  the  moon;  the 
sixth  was  dark-blue,  dedicated  to  Mercury;  the  fifth  was 
pale  yellow,  sacred  to  Venus;  the  fourth,  bright  yellow,  sa- 
cred to  the  Sun;  the  third,  bright  red,  was  consecrated  to 
Mars;  the  second,  of  orange  color,  was  allotted  to  Jupiter, 
and  the  first  was  clad  in  black  in  honor  of  Saturn.  This 
was  the  Temple  of  the  Seven  Spheres.  It  is  now  supposed 
to  have  been  the  same  as  the  temple  of  Bel-Merodach,  the 
great  sun-god  of  Bab3don.  It  is  possible  that  Nebuchadnez- 
zar built  this  temple  upon  the  ruins  of  the  Tower  of  Babel. 

The  last  great  king  of  Babylonia  was  Nebuchadnezzar. 
This  ancient  civilization  had  now  run  its  course.  In  her 
religion  we  find  many  of  the  elements  of  the  Greek  mythol- 
ogy. These  elements  had  been  already  transmitted  to  the 
western  nations   by  the   Hittites  and   Phoenicians.     Nebu- 

*Budge,p.  23.       f  Budge,  p.  21. 


56  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


chadnezzar  lived  long  enough  to  stamp  the  character  of  his 
nation  upon  the  brick  tablets  for  our  instruction.  In  the 
visions  which  Daniel  interpreted,  the  king  foresaw  the  doom 
which  came  upon  Babylon  in  the  next  generation  at  the 
hand  of  Cyrus,  the  Persian. 

Merodach,  the  Sun-god  of  Babylon. 

In  the  story  of  his  public  improvements  at  Babylon,  Nebu- 
chadnezzar tells  us  that  he  was  incited  thereto  by  his  "  lord 
and  judge"  Marduk,  or  Merodach.  This  chief  of  all  the 
gods  is  further  described  as  "  Merodach,  king  of  heaven  and 
earth."*  This  latest  head  of  the  Babylonian  Pantheon  is 
named  among  the  earliest  known  Accadian  inscriptions  as 
Merodach,  "  mighty  to  save."t  Merodach's  promotion  from 
a  minor  position  in  the  early  family  of  gods  presided  over 
by  the  Accadian  moon-god  to  the  place  of  supremacy  at 
Babylon  is  connected  with  the  absorption  of  the  Accadian 
creed  by  the  Babylonians. 

The  religion  of  the  Accadians  was  intimately  connected, 
like  that  of  the  Egyptians,  with  the  surrounding  forms  of 
external  nature.  Living  in  a  vast  plain,  they  supposed  the 
earth  to  be  flat,  roofed  in  by  the  arching  sky  and  surrounded 
by  the  ocean  stream.  This  cosmogony  was  adopted  by  the 
Greeks  in  Homer's  time.  These  parts  of  nature  were 
deified  and  worshipped;  the  sky  was  called  Ann,  the  earth 
was  named  Mul-ge,  and  the  ocean  was  known  as  Ea  or  Hea. 
These  gods  were  parallel  to  the  ideas  of  the  Greeks  concern- 
ing Zeus  and  Hephaistos.  The  Babylonians  substituted  the 
name  Bel  for  Mul-ge.  From  the  three  nature-gods,  Anu, 
Ea  and  Bel,  sprang  all  the  rest.  The  idea  of  a  process  of 
emanation  whereby  the  powers  of  nature  sent  forth  these  va- 
rious deities  was  passed  onward  to  the  Greeks  and  became 
the  first  principle  of  the  philosophy  of  Thales  and,  perhaps, 
the  basis  of  the  modern  theory  of  evolution. 

As  a  result  of  this  emanation,  Merodach  sprang  from  Ea, 
god  of  the  ocean  or  "abyss."  The  name  Merodach,  in  Ac- 
cadian, meant  ''the  radiance  of  the  sun,"  and  he  was 
designated  as  the  "lord  of  life  and  light,"  and  "  mighty  to 
save."  Merodach  thus  meant  the  morning-sun,  rising  out 
of  the  "  abyss"  of  night,  like  the  Egyptian  liorus. 

*  Budge,  pp.  20-25.        t  Idem,  p.  127. 


MERODACH,  THE  SUN-GOD  OF  BABYLON.  57 


In  addition  to  the  worship  of  the  sun  as  Merodach,  the 
early  Babylonians  also  worshiped  this  luminar}'-  as  Samas, 
the  sun-god  proper.  Samas  was  the  son  of  Ea  and  was 
known  as  the  "  King  of  Judgment."  Therefore  it  is  proba- 
ble that  Samas  was  the  noon-day  sun,  darting  down  fierce 
beams.  When  the  Babylonians  received  the  Accadian 
creed  they  gave  the  moon-god  a  subordinate  position  and 
elevated  Merodach  to  first  rank  which  he  retained  to  the 
end.  He  was  the  patron  deity  of  Babylon,  and  was  also 
known  as  Bel  "lord,"  the  Baal  of  the  Canaanites,  and  re- 
presented the  sun  in  all  his  aspects.  The  worship  of 
Merodach  began  with  the  recognition  of  the  triumph  of 
light  over  darkness  in  the  rising  of  the  sun,  but  finally 
degenerated  into  a  gross  idolatry  paid  to  the  disk  of  the 
sun  himself. 

In  connection  with  this  downward  growth,  there  was  the 
parallel  development  of  a  debased  system  of  idol-worship. 
The  basis  of  the  practical  forms  of  the  Accadian  religion 
was  the  recognition  of  a  "spirit"  in  every  part  and  element 
of  nature.  Most  of  these  "spirits"  were  evil  and  must  be 
placated.  A  hierarchy  of  sorcerers  was  selected,  who  made 
use  of  charms  and  incantations  to  ward  off  the  baneful 
power  of  the  desert-winds  and  other  unpropitious  powers  of 
the  earth  and  sky.  Merodach  was  first  among  the  benefi- 
cent powers  invoked  to  deliver  men  from  disease,  witches 
and  other  evils  sent  by  some  of  the  gods.  Out  of  these 
priestly  incantations  grew  the  system  practised  by  Balaam 
and  by  the  magicians  and  sorcerers  of  Babylon  in  the  time 
of  Daniel.  From  very  early  times  these  priests  used  idols 
and  offered  their  prayers  to  wood  and  stone.  In  Daniel's 
time  the  Babylonians  "  praised  the  gods  of  gold  and  of 
silver,  of  brass,  of  iron,  of  wood,  and  of  stone."  *  Chief 
among  these  images  was  the  idol  of  the  sun-god,  for  Jere- 
miah cried,  "  Bel  is  confounded,  Merodach  is  broken  in 
pieces,"  f  using  the  name  of  the  sun-god  to  designate  Baby- 
lon herself,  so  widespread  had  become  this  worship. 

Those  who  claim  that  Judaism  was  the  result  of  a  long 
course  of  natural  development  and  came  not  by  revelation, 
may  place  it  for  comparison  beside  the  Babylonian  creed. 

*Dan.  5:  4.       +Jer.  50:  2. 


58  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


The  latter  system  of  religion  began  its  course  before  the 
time  of  Abraham;  it  grew  and  grew  until  its  gods  were 
beyond  number  and  its  devotees  the  type  of  human  debase- 
ment and  ignorance.  This  was  a  religion  that  attained  its 
final  form  through  a  process  of  natural  development.  Like 
the  creed  of  the  Egyptians,  the  religion  of  the  Babylonians 
was  marked  by  a  downward  progress,  and  the  last  state  of 
both  was  worse  than  the  first. 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  ASSHUR-BANI-PAL.  59 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Discovery  and  Interpretation  of  the  Ancient 
Inscriptions. 

The  Library  of  Asshur-bani-pal. 

THE  records  upon  the  obelisks  and  temple  walls  and  tombs 
of  Egypt  have  never  been  hidden  from  the  sight  of 
men,  but  their  meaning  became  a  mystery  not  long  after 
Rome  gained  possession  of  the  land  of  the  Nile.  The 
secret  of  the  interpretation  of  the  hieroglyphic  language 
was  buried  with  the  Egyptian  kingdom  itself  and  was  not 
brought  to  the  light  until  the  present  century. 

In  Babylonia,  the  inscriptions  themselves  were  hidden 
beneath  the  debris  of  abandoned  cities.  The  sun-dried  brick 
used  in  constructing  the  great  buildings  and  city-walls  in 
Mesopotamia  all  crumbled  to  dust,  and  a  harvest  of  grass 
and  weeds  sprang  up  from  the  ruins.  Heaps  of  crumbling 
clay  and  grass-covered  mounds,  scattered  along  the  banks 
of  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  were  for  centuries  the  only 
witnesses  of  Babylonia's  past  glory.  The  silent  witnesses 
beneath  were  awaiting  the  resurrection  that  came  but  a  few 
years  ago. 

Under  the  touch  of  the  Turkish  government,  the  pros- 
perity of  Mesopotamia  has  withered  away.  The  glory  of  the 
capital  of  the  Caliphs,  Bagdad,  has  faded  into  a  dream. 
Mosul  has  been  a  minor  centre  of  trade  and  the  residence 
of  a  Turkish  pasha.  The  Arabs  built  the  latter  city  on  the 
Tighl  bank  of  the  Tigris,  just  opposite  the  burial-place  of 
Nineveh.  ''Jonah's  Mound"  was  the  name  given  by  the 
Arabs  to  one  of  the  two  heaps  of  ruins  that  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  capital  of  Assyria.  From  these  two  mounds  and 
from  others  not  far  away  on  the  same  river-plain  the  spade 
of  the  explorer  exhumed  the  State  records  of  Assyria  and 
Babylonia. 

The  year  1820  marked  the  beginning  of  discovery.  But 
the  results  of  Mr.  Rich's  excavations  were  small.     In  1842 


60  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Mr.  Botta,  French  Consul  at  Mosul,  began  to  dig  into  the 
larger  of  the  two  mounds  opposite  the  town.  Koyunjik  is 
the  name  given  this  heap  of  ruins  by  the  modern  Arabs. 
Not  far  distant  another  mound,  Khorsabad,  was  partially 
explored  by  this  French  savant.  But  chief  of  all  the  As- 
syrian explorers  stands  Sir  Austen  Layard,  who  began  his 
excavations  in  the  year  1845,  at  the  mound  called  Nimrud, 
lying  farther  than  the  others  down  the  Tigris.  In  1848  a 
second  expedition  was  undertaken  by  Layard,  and  the 
mounds  of  ancient  Nineveh  ere  long  were  all  made  to  give 
up  their  treasures. 

Buried  beneath  the  Nimrud  mound  the  palace  of  King 
Asshur-nazir-pal  was  discovered.  From  its  relative  location 
Layard  called  this  building  "The  North-west  Palace." 
Khorsabad  gave  up  King  Sargon's  palace  with  five  immense 
halls.  But  Koyunjik,  opposite  Mosul,  was  found  to  be  the 
veritable  site  of  ancient  Nineveh.  Beneath  this  heap  of 
earth  that  rose  to  the  height  of  95  feet  above  the  Tigris  at 
its  base,  and  covered  a  space  equal  to  one  hundred  acres — 
beneath  this  the  explorer's  spade  found  the  greatest  treasures 
ever  yet  brought  to  the  light — the  palace  of  Sennacherib, 
of  stupendous  extent,  and  the  Library  of  Asshur-bani-pal. 
Two  chambers  of  Asshur-bani-pal's  royal  residence  con- 
tained naught  but  piles  of  clay  tablets.  Broken  were  some 
of  them,  but  others,  piled  in  regular  order,  gave  the  appear- 
ance of  shelved  volumes,  and  the  contents  themselves  con- 
firmed the  supposition  that  this  was  the  King's  library. 
Linked  with  Layard's  name  is  that  of  George  Smith,  the 
decipherer  of  these  Assyrian  texts.  As  he  arranged  them 
in  systematic  order  for  the  shelves  of  the  British  Museum, 
the  desire  to  read  the  tablets  was  aroused  within  him.  His 
triumphs  as  an  Assyrian  scholar  have  linked  his  name  with 
those  of  Rawlinson  and  Oppert,  while  his  zeal  as  an  ex- 
plorer places  him  by  the  side  of  Layard.  He,  too,  searched 
in  the  palaces  at  Koyunjik  and  added  to  the  storehouse  of 
ancient  records  until  he  was  called  upon  to  pay  the  price  of 
martyrdom  to  the  cause  of  science.  The  Syrian  fever  car- 
ried him  off  in  1876. 

The  labor  and  inspired  zeal  of  such  men  as  Layard,  Raw- 
linson and  Smith  have  made  sacred  the  volumes  of  this 
royal  library  of  Nineveh,  were  they  not  already  the  sacred 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  ASSHVR-BANI-PAL.  61 


messengers  of  God  bearing  the  truth  from  the  past  to  the 
present.  Ten  thousand  volumes  have  been  found  on  Assur- 
bani-pal's  shelves.  One  of  these  bears  the  following : 
"  Palace  of  Asshur-bani-pal,  King  of  the  AVorld,  King  of  As- 
syria, to  whom  the  god  Nebo  and  the  goddess  Tasmit  (the 
goddess  of  knowledge)  have  given  the  ears  to  hear  and  have 
opened  the  eyes  to  see  what  is  the  true  foundation  of  gov- 
ernment. They  revealed  to  the  Kings,  my  predecessors, 
this  cuneiform  writing,  the  manifestation  of  the  god  Nebo, 
the  god  of  supreme  intelligence  :  I  wrote  it  upon  tablets, 
I  signed  and  arranged  them,  and  I  placed  them  in  my  palace 
for  the  instruction  of  my  subjects." 

Concerning  the  books  of  clay  stored  in  this  library,  La- 
3^ard  says  this:  "These  documents  appear  to  be  of  various 
kinds.  Many  are  historical  records  of  wars  and  distant  ex- 
peditions undertaken  by  the  Assyrians;  some  seem  to  be 
royal  decrees  and  are  stamped  with  the  name  of  a  king,  the 
son  of  Esar-haddon  [Asshur-bani-pal] ;  others,  again,  divi- 
ded into  parallel  columns  by  horizontal  lines,  contain  lists 
of  the  gods  and  probably  a  registering  of  offerings  made  in 
their  temples."*  Catalogues  of  these  books  inscribed  on 
clay  tablets  indicate  more  clearly  still  the  character 
of  Assyrian  literature.  (1)  Grammars  and  Lexicons  of  the 
Chaldean  and  Assyrian  languages  are  foun.d  on  the  same 
shelves  with  comparative  dictionaries  of  the  cuneiform  and 
hieroglyphic  modes  of  writing.  (2)  The  history  and  chro- 
nology of  the  Mesopotamian  kingdoms  are  preserved  in  many 
fragments.  Lists  of  the  kings,  with  the  date  of  their  re- 
spective reigns,  are  found  side  by  side  with  great  stores  of 
governmental  statistics.  (3)  Mathematics  and  astronomy 
are  represented  by  the  largest  part  of  the  inscriptions.  The 
kindred  branches  of  astrology,  magic  and  divination,  are 
elaborately  illustrated  in  these  clay  folios.  (4)  Religion  is 
minutely  set  forth  in  the  myths  and  hymns  to  the  gods. 
The  entire  life  of  these  Semitic  tribes  of  Western  Asia  has 
in  ver}'  truth  been  laid  bare  by  these  state  archives.  The 
manners  and  customs  of  the  people,  their  knowledge  and  their 
beliefs,  their  kings,  priests  and  gods,  are  made  known  in 
systematic  order.  The  treasure-house  of  many  generations 
the  library  of  Asshur-bani-pal  has  proved  to  be.  The  records 

*  Layard :  Nineveh  and  Babylon,  p.  296. 


62  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


of  Babylonia  were  brought  to  Nineveh  by  this  scholar-prince. 
These  Babylonian  documents,  in  their  turn,  embodied  the 
story  of  the  Accadian  kingdom,  whose  foundations  were 
laid  by  the  mighty  hunter-king,  Nimrod.  Therefore,  as 
we  turn  the  pages  of  this  Assyrian  collection  of  books,  we 
are  enabled  to  look  backward  along  the  history  of  those 
sons  of  Shem,  who  were  closely  akin  to  God's  chosen  people. 

The  Rosetta  Stone. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1799,  Bouchard,  a  French  officer 
of  artillery,  attached  to  Napoleon's  Egyptian  expedition,  was 
superintending  the  establishment  of  a  redoubt  on  the  ruins 
of  Fort  Julien.  As  the  spade  worked  its  way  downward  into 
the  sand  on  that  western  bank  of  the  Rosetta  branch  of  the 
Nile  and  near  the  river's  mouth,  a  large  slab  of  black  mar- 
ble was  brought  to  view.  Various  signs  were  written  on  the 
surface  of  the  slab,  a  part  of  these  being  an  inscription  in 
the  Greek  tongue.  This  Greek  writing  was  found  to  assert 
that  the  remaining  characters  on  the  slab  were  two  transla- 
tions of  the  same  royal  decree,  the  one  in'  hieroglyphic,  or 
sacred  writing,  the  other  in  demotic,  or  the  popular  lan- 
guage of  the  Egyptians.  The  decree,  thus  set  forth  in  three 
languages,  related  to  the  coronation  of  Ptolemy  Epiphanes, 
195  B.  C. 

This  slab  of  marble  was  given  to  the  British  Museum,  and 
an  engraved  copy  of  the  inscriptions  sent  to  all  the  learned 
men  of  Europe.  Here  at  last  was  the  solution  of  the  pro- 
blem wrapped  up  in  the  strange  language  of  the  Egyptians. 
A  specimen  of  their  ancient  speech,  in  its  two  forms,  had 
come  forth  accompanied  by  a  literal  translation  in  the  Greek. 
Dr.  Young,  an  English  scholar,  first  pointed  out  on  the  Ro- 
setta stone  the  name  of  Ptolemy  in  the  hieroglyphic  part  of 
the  inscription.  He  also  discovered  the  fact  that  the  de- 
motic, or  popular,  form  of  speech  inscribed  on  the  slab  was 
merely  a  "  running  form  "  of  the  hieroglyphic.  These  re- 
sults were  reached  in  the  j^ear  1814.  But  the  glory  of  com- 
pletely probing  the  mystery  of  these  ancient  symbols  was 
reserved  for  a  French  scholar,  Jean  Francois  Champollion. 
After  some  years  of  patient  labor,  Champollion  showed  that 
the  hieroglyphic  writing  was  'phonetic  as  well  as  symbolic — 
that  is,  that  the  signs  or  images  cut  on  the  stone,  represented 


THE  ROSETTA  STONE.  63 


ideas,  and  thus  formed  a  system  of  picture-writing,  and  in 
addition  to  this  each  picture  was  used  to  represent  a  sound. 
He  was  at  length  enabled  to  compile  an  alphabet  of  the  hiero- 
glyphic writing,  which  he  gave  to  the  world  in  the  year  1824. 
The  ancient  records  of  the  land  of  sphinxes  and  pyramids 
were  thus  made  to  yield  up  their  secrets.  The  expedition  of 
Napoleon  into  Egypt  was  made  the  means,  under  the  Provi- 
dence of  God,  of  reading  the  strange  characters  in  which 
the  Pharaohs  of  the  oppression  and  of  the  exodus  told  the 
story  of  their  deeds.  The  wrath  of  man  was  truly  made  to 
praise  God. 

Clearly  to  comprehend  the  import  of  Champollion's  dis- 
covery, let  us  glance  briefly  at  the  story  of  Egyptian  writing; 
how  the  strange  symbols  on  the  monuments  mocked  the 
efforts  of  men  to  interpret  them  until  God  inspired  the 
•scholars  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Already  have  we  seen 
how  God's  witnesses  were  buried  in  the  dust  of  crumbling 
empires,  but  now  further  do  we  find  that  the  tongues  of  His 
witnesses  were  fast  closed  by  the  intricacies  of  a  language 
that  soon  passed  away  from  the  knowledge  of  men.  The 
classic  writers  of  Greece  and  Rome  might  have  learned  the 
form  of  speech  in  which  the  priests  of  Egypt  and  Baby- 
lonia inscribed  the  story  of  past  eras  ;  but  national  pride 
was  the  bar  that  held  them  back  from  such  knowledge.  The 
second  book  of  the  historian  Herodotus  is  concerned  with 
what  he  heard  and  saw  in  Egypt.  But  this  old  writer  of 
gossip  and  folk-lore  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  learn  the 
language  of  the  Egyptian  priest-historians. 

About  180  B.  C.,  in  the  time  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus, 
lived  and  wrote  Manetho,  a  priest  of  Sebennytus.  He  wrote 
the  three  volumes  of  his  history  of  the  dynasties  of  ancient 
Egypt  in  the  Greek  language,  but  professed  to  draw  his  ma- 
terial from  Egyptian  documents  and  inscriptions.  The 
original  work  of  Manetho  is  lost,  and  we  know  him  only 
through  the  quotations  made  in  the  writings  of  Josephus 
and  Eusebius.  Many  facts  did  these  historians  transcribe 
from  the  pages  of  Manetho,  but  the  secret  of  the  Egyptian 
language  was  left  in  its  old  mystery.  As  late  as  the  middle 
of  the  third  century  of  the  Christian  era,  while  Decius  sat 
on  the  imperial  throne  at  Rome,  the  priestly  symbols  were 
still  used  in  writing  by  the  Egyptians.     Even  m  Babylonia 


64  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH 


the  wedge-shaped  or  cuneiform  characters  of  the  language 
of  the  Euphrates  region  were  used  in  the  end  of  the  first 
Christian  centur}^;  that  is,  during  the  reign  of  Domitian. 
But  the  interpretation  of  the  speech  of  these  ancient  peoples 
remained  unknown.  The  only  link  of  knowledge  that  con- 
nected the  Christian  world  with  the  mj^steries  locked  up  in 
the  images  of  birds,  beasts,  reptiles,  and  men  carved  on 
Egyptian  monuments,  was  the  Word  of  God  translated  into 
a  kindred  speech.  The  Coptic  tongue  is  the  lineal  descend- 
ant of  the  ancient  Egyptian,  and  seven  of  the  characters  in 
the  Coptic  alphabet  were  drawn  from  the  demotic  form  of 
Egyptian.  Nearly  the  whole  of  the  Scriptures  with  Greek 
and  Arabic  translations  have  come  down  to  us  in  the  Coptic 
language  as  a  great  storehouse  for  minute  comparison  in 
searching  the  ancient  Egyptian  letters  and  parts  of  speech. 
The  only  thing  needful  to  make  this  linguistic  treasure 
available  was  the  key  to  the  hieroglyphic  language  which 
God  brought  to  light  when  He  led  the  scholars  of  this  cen- 
tury to  see  the  meaning  of  the  Rosetta  stone.  Not  merely 
did  God  store  up  his  treasures  of  testimony  in  the  olden 
days,  when  His  servants  wrote  and  the  kings  of  the  earth 
inscribed  their  deeds  on  stone  and  clay,  but  He  preserved 
the  secret  of  the  interpretation  of  those  records  through 
many  ages  and  at  length  brought  forth  the  key  in  the  very 
day  and  hour  wherein  the  truth  of  His  own  word  might  be 
most  triumphantly  vindicated  by  the  inscriptions  of  heathen 
kings  and  heathen  priests. 

The  Behistun  Inscription. 

The  second  stage  in  the  progress  of  the  art  of  writing  is 
represented  by  the  characters  or  signs  in  use  among  the 
people  of  the  land  between  the  rivers  Euphrates  and  Tigris. 
The  objects,  or  images,  employed  in  p?'cfwe-writing,  the  hie- 
roglyphics of  the  .  Egyptians,  were  represented  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Babylonians  and  Assyrians  by  "conventional 
groups  of  straight  lines."  These  lines  were  made  by  stamp- 
ing soft  clay  with  the  end  of  a  pointed  instrument.  The 
impression  left  upon  the  clay  was  a  simple  straight  line  with 
one  end  enlarged  ;  hence  this  method  of  written  speech  was 
termed  cuneiform,  or  wedge-shaped  writing.  An  abbreviated 
type   of  the  cuneiform  writing  was  used  by  the   Persians 


THE  BEE  I  STUN  INSCRIPTION.  65 


whom  we  have  already  seen  established  at  Babylon  under 
Cyrus.  The  story  of  the  decipherment  of  these .  wedge- 
shaped  characters  and  of  the  interpretation  of  the  languages 
they  recorded  is  closel}'^  connected  with  the  history  of  the 
Persian  kings  who  came  after  Cyrus. 

The  royal  decrees  issued  by  these  Persian  kings  who  ruled 
over  Babylonia  were  written  in  the  three  prominent  dialects 
spoken  by  their  subjects,  after  the  manner  of  Pilate's  in- 
scription fastened  upon  the  Saviour's  cross  in  the  three  lan- 
guages— Hebrew  and  Greek  and  Latin.  Upon  the  ruins  of 
the  Persian  capital,  Persepolis,  and  upon  those  left  at  Ecba- 
tana,  these  inscriptions  continued  to  speak  long  after  the 
downfall  of  the  Persian  empire  at  the  touch  of  the  Mace- 
donian sceptre. 

In  the  same  year  that  saw  the  Rosetta  stone  borne  from 
the  Nile  to  the  British  Museum,  the  German  scholar  Grote- 
fend  began  the  work  of  unravelling  the  mystery  of  the- 
three-tongued  cuneiform  characters.  A  more  difficult  task 
than  that  of  Young  and  Champollion  confronted  Grotefend, 
One  of  the  three  languages  inscribed  upon  the  Rosetta  stone 
was  Greek,  furnishing  a  well-known  key  to  the  other  two. 
But  the  three  forms  of  speech  in  the  wedge-shaped  charac- 
ters were  all  unknown.  By  comparison  with  the  Sanskrit 
Grotefend  was  enabled,  in  1815,  to  make  an  approximate 
translation  of  the  Old  Persian  dialect,  which  always  occur- 
red first  in  these  inscriptions.  The  mystery  was  virtually 
unlocked.  But  the  translation  of  the  Behistun  inscription 
in  1846,  by  Sir  Henr}''  Rawlinson,  laid  bare  the  last  secrets 
of  these  strange  forms  of  speech. 

High  up  on  the  smooth  surface  of  a  cliff  at  Behistun,  on 
the  western  frontier  of  Persia,  there  had  long  been  noticed 
pictorial  representations  and  line  upon  line  in  the  cuneiform 
writing.  Here  by  the  side  of  the  public  highway  that  crosses 
the  Zagros  mountains  from  Babylonia  to  the  highlands  of 
Persia,  some  one  of  the  Aryan  kings  had  evidently  left  his 
royal  edict,  or  perhaps  the  record  of  his  own  deeds.  The 
difficulty  of  ascending  the  smooth  surface  of  the  tall  rock 
prevented  a  close  examination  of  the  inscription  until  the 
daring  and  skill  of  Henry  Rawlinson  brought  away  a  par- 
tial copy  of  the  record  in  the  year  1835.  The  year  1844 
saw  the  young  scholar  again  at  his  dangerous  task,  and  this 
5 


66  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


effort  was  rewarded  with  an  accurate  transcription  of  the 
entire  stone-document.  Two  years  later  he  published  a 
translation  of  the  Old  Persian  part  of  the  inscription,  which 
proved  to  be  an  account  of  the  chief  events  in  the  reign  of 
Darius  Hystaspes,  inscribed  by  his  own  order.  The  Persian 
dialect  now  being  known,  it  was  used  as  a  key  to  solve  the 
difficulties  of  the  remaining  two  dialects  of  the  cuneiform 
inscriptions.  One  of  these  was  a  form  of  speech  once  used 
by  the  common  people  of  the  Aryan  plateau,  not  unlike  the 
language  now  in  use  among  the  Turks.  The  third  was 
found  to  be  similar  to  Old  Testament  Hebrew.  It  was  evi- 
dently a  Semitic  dialect,  and  was  most  probably  the  medium 
used  by  Darius  in  making  known  his  deeds  to  his  subjects 
in  Babylonia. 

As  the  genius  of  Rawlinson  was  thus  making  this  ancient 
form  of  speech  begin  to  tell  the  secret  of  its  structure,  the 
spade  of  Austen  Layard  was  la^dng  bare  on  the  site  of  the 
Assyrian  capital,  Nineveh,  the  library  of  King  Asshur-bani- 
pal.  Layard's  work  was  just  fairly  begun  that  summer  of 
wonderful  revelations — the  summer  of  1846.  The  inscrip- 
tions upon  the  monuments  and  the  clay  tablets  stored  up 
beneath  the  ruins  of  Nineveh  were  brought  forth  from  their 
hiding  place  in  quantities  vast  and  various,  and  all  of  them 
were  found  to  be  recorded  in  the  same  dialect  that  formed 
the  third  part  of  the  Behistun  inscription.  God  had 
wrought  a  wonder — for  this  coincidence  was  surely  of  His 
divine  ordering.  The  ancient  Assyrian  and  Babylonian 
tongue  was  made  to  give  up  the  secret  of  its  character  from 
the  record  of  the  Behistun  rock,  just  when  the  spade  of 
the  explorer  was  making  God's  witnesses  to  rise  up  and 
speak-^— those  witnesses  of  Assyrian  and  Babylonian  speech 
whom  He  had  buried  centuries  before. 

The  Behistun  inscription  contains  the  name  and  records 
the  deeds  of  Darius,  son  of  Hystaspes,  whose  reign  began  in 
the  year  521  B.  C.  The  king's  chief  boast  in  the  inscrip- 
tion concerns  his  restoration  of  the  religion  of  Zoroaster. 
The  greatest  of  his  acts  he  did  not  record.  No  mention  was 
made  of  the  decree  permitting  the  continuance  of  the  build- 
ing of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem.  Yet,  at  the  very  time 
when  the  iron  pen  was  making  its  proud  boast  on  the  rock, 
the  Jews   were   rejoicing  over  their  completed  sanctuary. 


THE  BESISTUN  INSCRIPTION.  67 


Sir  Henry  Rawlinson  has  conjectured  from  the  character  of 
the  record  itself  that  the  Behistun  inscription  was  made  in 
the  year  that  saw  the  temple  rebuilded,  516  B.  C.  It  was 
perhaps  a  policy  of  conciliation  that  led  Cyrus  and  Darius 
to  restore  the  Jewish  state  and  church — a  policy  that  be- 
came the  instrument  of  God  in  the  furtherance  of  His  plans. 
But  in  the  philosophy  of  these  kings  it  was  never  dreamed 
that  in  the  far-off  centuries,  God  would  use  an  inscription 
made  by  Darius  in  the  solid  rock,  not  to  glorify  Zoroaster 
as  Darius  planned,  but  to  unlock  the  secrets  of  the  ancient 
monuments  and  make  them  stand  forth  as  living  witnesses 
to  the  truth  of  His  Word. 


PA^nT  II 


THE    BEGINNINGS  OF   DIVINE    REVELATION 
CONTRASTED  WITH  HEATHEN  FOLK-LORE. 


l_Genesis  1-11.] 


THE  CHALDEAN  STORY  OF  CREATION.  71 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Creation. 

The  Chaldean  Story  of  Creation. 

OUT  of  the  royal  library  of  Asshur-bani-pal  at  Koyunjik, 
the  zeal  of  Mr.  George  Smith  and  Sir  H.  Rassam  has 
brought  the  fragments  of  an  early  Babylonian  epic.  So 
far  as  it  has  been  possible  to  arrange  these  broken-up 
tablets  in  proper  order,  they  make  up  a  heroic  story  in 
twelve  parts.  The  central  figure  of  the  epic  is  Gizdhubar, 
the  fire-god  of  the  Accadians,  and  the  sun-god  of  the  later 
Babylonians.  Gizdhubar  was  probably  the  prototype  of 
the  Greek  Hercules  and  the  twelve  labors  of  that  national 
hero  were  perhaps  foreshadowed  by  the  twelve  exploits  of 
Gizdhubar.  The  most  plausible  explanation  yet  given  of 
this  Babylonian  or  Chaldean  epic  is  that  it  celebrates  the 
passage  of  the  sun  through  the  twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac. 
An  astronomical  poem  this  interpretation  would  make  it — 
the  collected  traditions  of  a  sun  and  moon-worshiping 
people. 

The  broken  tablets  discovered  in  the  library  at  Koyunjik 
are  all  written  in  the  Semitic  Babylonian  dialect,  and  were 
inscribed  by  Asshur-bani-pal's  copyists  from  Babylonian 
texts.  The  inscriptions  now  in  the  possession  of  the  British 
Museum  date,  therefore,  only  from  the  time  of  Asshur-bani- 
pal,  the  seventh  century  before  Christ.  But  they  are  tran- 
scriptions of  legends  that  run  far  back  into  Babylonian  his- 
tory, and  it  is  not  improbable  that  in  these  tablets  we  have 
the  survival  of  ancient  Accadian  folk-lore.  We  know  that 
Asshur-bani-pal  enriched  his  shelves  with  the  literary  treas- 
ures of  all  the  great  Babylonian  cities,  notably  those  of  Bab- 
ylon, Borsippa.  Cutha,  Erech,  Nipur,  Ur  and  Larsa.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  Gizdhubar  epic  the  king  brought  from  these 
ancient  places  to  Nineveh  "  a  series  of  mythological  tablets 
of  various  sorts,  varying  from  legends  of  the  gods,  psalms, 
songs,  prayers  and  hymns  down  to  mere  allusions  and  lists 


72  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


of  names.  Many  of  these  texts  take  the  form  of  charms  to 
be  used  in  sickness  and  for  the  expulsion  of  evil  spirits  ; 
some  of  them  are  of  great  antiquity,  being  older  than  the 
Gizdhubar  legends.  One  fine  series  deals  with  remedies 
against  witchcraft  and  the  assaults  of  evil  spirits."* 

Most  important  of  all  Mr.  Smith's  discoveries,  perhaps, 
was  the  series  of  tablets  containing  the  Babylonian  or  Chal- 
dean account  of  the  creation  of  the  world.  Fragment  by 
fragment  this  series  came  to  light,  while  he  was  still  in 
search  of  the  pieces  of  the  Gizdhubar  tablets.  Thus  has 
Asshur-bani-pal's  library  furnished  us  with  the  collected 
folk-lore  of  the  Southern  Babylonians  running  back  to  a 
period  long  before  the  time  of  Abraham  and  Moses.  An 
outline  of  this  literature  of  ancient  Semitic  legend  may  here 
be  transcribed  from  Mr.  Smith's  "Chaldean  Account  of 
Genesis,"  pp.  10-11: 

(1)  An  account  of  the  creation  of  the  world  in  six  days, 
parallel  to  that  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  and  probably 
in  its  present  form  not  older  than  the  seventh  century  B.  C. 

(2)  A  second  account  of  the  creation,  derived  from  the 
library  of  Cuthali,  and  belonging  to  the  oldest  period  of 
Babylonian  literature. 

(3)  A  history  of  the  conflict  between  Merodach,  the  cham- 
pion of  the  gods,  and  Tiamat,  "  the  Deep,"  the  representa- 
tive of  chaos  and  evil.  To  this  we  may  add  the  bilingual 
legend  of  the  seven  evil  spirits  and  their  fight  against  the 
moon, 

(4)  The  story  of  the  descent  of  the  goddess  Istar,  or  Venus 
into  Hades,  and  her  return. 

(5)  The  legend  of  the  sin  of  the  god  Zu,  punished  by  Bel, 
the  father  of  the  gods. 

(6)  A  collection  of  five  tablets,  giving  the  exploits  of  Dib- 
bara,  the  god  of  the  pestilence. 

(7)  The  story  of  the  wise  man  who  put  forth  a  riddle  to 
the  gods. 

(8)  The  legend  of  the  good  man  Atarpi,  and  the  wicked- 
ness of  the  world. 

(9)  The  legend  of  the  Tower  of  Babel,  and  dispersion. 

(10)  The  story  of  the  Eagle  and  Etana. 

(11)  The  story  of  the  ox  and  the  horse. 

*Smith'3  Chaldean  Genesis,  p.  28. 


THE  CHALDEAN  STORY  OF  CREATION.  73 


(12)  The  story  of  the  fox. 

(13)  The  legend  of  Sinuri. 

(14)  The  Gizdhubar  legends:  twelve  tablets  with  the  his- 
tory of  Gizdhubar  and  an  account  of  the  flood. 

(15)  The  stor}^  of  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah. Besides  these  there  are  fragments  of  other  legends, 
which  show  that  there  was  a  considerable  collection  of  such 
primitive  stories  still  quite  unknown  to  us. 

As  we  read  this  catalogue  of  cuneiform  books  we  may 
easily  imagine  that  it  represents  the  early  form  of  the  cycle 
of  Greek  legends.  "The  sin  of  the  god  Zu"  suggests  the 
Greek  story  of  Prometheus,  and  so  does  the  fact  appear 
when  the  legend  is  examined.  Gizdhubar  came  through 
Phoenician  lore  into  Greece  to  play  his  part  there  as 
Hercules.  In  short,  the  mixture  of  fact  and  fable  in  this 
summary  of  primitive  religion — Babel  and  Sodom  placed 
on  the  same  book-shelves  with  the  stories  of  talking  horses 
and  foxes — seems  only  a  crude  edition  of  the  volume  of 
Greek  mythology.  We  are  turning  the  leaves  of  heathen 
folk-lore  wherein  the  vain  imaginings  of  men  sought  to 
make  gods  out  of  stars  and  brutes. 

Several  copies  of  the  Chaldean  account  of  creation  were 
made  by  Asshur-bani-pal's  scribes.  Fragments  of  these 
different  editions  have  been  carefully  arranged  and  the  ori- 
ginal story  approximately  reproduced.  Fearfully  mutilated 
as  the  tablets  are,  the  leading  facts  of  the  myth  have  been 
drawn  from  them.  Since  the  texts  themselves  assert  that 
they  are  only  .copies  of  Babylonian  originals,  scholars  have 
coupled  this  with  other  kindred  circumstances  as  evidence 
that  this  creation  myth  was  first  written  down  about  2000 
B.  C.  If  this  supposition  is  in  accordance  with  the  fact, 
the  Chaldean  myth  took  a  literary  form  among  the  kins- 
men of  Abram  in  Babylonia  when  the  patriarch  himself 
was  a  young  man.  Now  since  ten  generations  are  named 
in  Shem's  family  line,  from  Shem  to  Abram,  it  may  be  sup- 
posed that  this  tradition  ran  back  through  the  course  of  these 
ten  generations  for  many  a  decade,  and  possibly  came  down 
to  Shem  himself  from  his  fathers  before  the  flood.  At  least 
we  may  suppose  that  upon  these  tablets  we  have  recorded 
the  earliest  workings  of  the  Semitic  and  Cushite  imagina- 
tion— the  very  body  of  the  religious  faith  of  the  descend- 


74  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


ants  and  successors  of  Nimrod  and  his  Semitic  cousins  of 
the  lower  Euphrates, 

Seven  tablets  make  up  the  series  that  relate  the  story  o/ 
creation.  Let  us  examine  the  text  itself  and  catch  the 
spirit  of  the  narrative.  The  first  tablet  gives  us  these  frag- 
mentary sentences: 

1.  At  that  time  above  the  heaven  was  unnamed, 

2.  Below  the  earth  by  name  was  unrecorded, 

3.  The  boundless  deep  also  (was)  their  generator, 

4.  The  chaos  of  the  sea  was  she  who  bore  the  whole  of 

them. 

5.  Their  waters  were  collected  together  in  one  place,  and 

6.  The  flowering  reed  was  not  gathered,  the  marsh-plant 

was  not  grown. 

7.  At  that  time  the  gods  had  not  been  produced,  any  one 

of  them; 

8.  By  name  they  had  not  been  called,  destiny   was  not 

fixed, 

9.  Were  made  also  the  (great)  gods, 

10,  The  gods  Lakhmu  and  Lakhamu  were  produced  (the 

first),  and 

11,  To  growth  they 

12,  The  gods  Sar  and  Kisar  were  made  next, 

13,  The  days  were  long,  a  long  (time  passed),  (and) 

14,  The  gods  Ann  (Bel  and  Hea  were  born  of) 

15,  The  gods  Sar  (and  Kisar).  * 

These  broken  lines  of  the  first  tablet  suggest  the  opening 
words  of  Genesis:  "In  the  beginning  God  created  the 
heavens  and  the  earth.  And  the  earth  was  waste  and 
void."  A  hopeless  confusion,  however,  is  stamped  upon  the 
Babylonian  narrative.  The  universe  and  the  gods  them- 
selves are  said  to  have  sprung  out  of  chaos.  We  seem  to 
be  standing  in  later  times  at  the  very  beginning  of  Greek 
philosophy,  itself  a  blind  groping  after  something  better  and 
more  reasonable  than  Greek  mythology.  The  philosopher 
Thales  seems  to  be  speaking  in  the  words  of  this  cuneiform 
tablet  and  telling  us  about  the  emanation  of  all  things,  gods 
and  beasts  and  men,  from  water!  The  inconsistency  of  this 
Babylonian  myth  will  appear  when  we  remember  that  "  the 
chaos  of  the  sea,"  "the  boundless  deep,"  here  spoken  of  as 

*  Smith's  Chaldean,  Genesis,  pp.  57-58. 


THE  CHALDEAN  STORY  OF  CREATION. 


the  generator  of  all  things,  was  afterwards  deified  and 
named  the  goddess  Tiamat!  An  evil  demon  she  became, 
making  war  upon  the  gods  and  tempting  men.  And  yet 
this  goddess  was  the  mother  of  divinities  and  other  entities 
before  a  god  or  goddess  had  materialized  from  the  primitive 
confusion! 

Again,  in  tracing  the  origin  of  the  gods,  the  Sky,  Anu, 
is  said  to  be  the  offspring  of  Sar  and  Kisar,  the  upper  and 
lower  firmaments.  Bel  and  Hea,  or  Ea,  are  placed,  likewise, 
in  the  same  family — that  is,  the  sun-god  and  the  god  of  the 
"  great  deep,"  or  ocean-stream,  are  descended  from  the  firma- 
ment. The  fact  that  the  later  Babylonians  changed  the 
name  of  Bel  to  Merodach  and  tampered  with  his  genealogy 
so  far  as  to  make  him  the  son  of  Hea,  the  lord  of  the  "  great 
deep,"  does  not  change  the  great  truth  taught  in  this 
inscription  that  the  untutored  imagination  of  these  primi- 
tive tribes  simply  made  gods  out  of  the  elements,  the  sky, 
the  sun  and  the  darkness  of  the  underworld. 

The  next  coherent  statements  in  this  Chaldean  narrative 
appear  on  the  fifth  tablet: 

1.  Anu  made  suitable  the  mansions  of  the  seven  great 
gods. 

2.  The  stars  he  placed  in  them;  the  lumasi  he  fixed. 

3.  He  arranged  the  year  according  to  the  bounds  that  he 
defined. 

4.  For  each  day  of  the  twelve  months  three  stars  he 
fixed. 

5.  From  the  day  when  the  year  issues  forth  unto  the 
close, 

6.  He  established  the  mansion  of  the  god  Nibiru,  that 
they  might  know  their  laws. 

7.  That  they  might  not  err  nor  deflect  at  all, 

8.  The  mansion  of  Bel  and  Hea  he  established  along  with 
himself. 

9.  He  opened,  also,  the  great  gates  in  the  sides  of  the 
world ; 

10.  The  bolts  he  strengthened  on  the  left  hand  and  on  the 
right. 

11.  In  its  centre,  also,  he  made  a  staircase. 

12.  The  moon-god  he  caused  to  beautify  the  thick  night.* 

*  Smith's  Chaldean  Genesis,  pp.  64-€5. 


76  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Through  twenty-four  lines  this  tablet  continues  to  de- 
scribe the  ordering  of  the  heavenly  host  in  a  manner  that 
suggests  the  story  of  the  fourth  day  of  creation  in  the  first 
chapter  of  Genesis.  Two  facts,  however,  are  written  promi- 
nently on  the  face  of  this  record.  The  establisher  of 
heavenly  mansions  for  the  various  star-gods  is  Anu,  the 
sky.  A  part  of  the  created  universe  itself  is  exalted  to  the 
majesty  and  power  of  deity.  We  are  taken  back  to  the 
original  form  of  Babylonian  mythology  or  folk-lore.  The 
sky  sits  on  the  throne  which  is  afterwards  to  be  occupied  by 
the  chief  sky-dweller,  Bel,  the  sun. 

Again,  we  notice  that  this  account  gives  priority  to  the 
moon-god  over  the  sun-god.  Conclusive  evidence  is  this 
that  the  ancient  Accadian  myth  in  circulation  long  before 
the  time  of  Abram  is  inscribed  on  these  creation  tablets. 
The  moon-god,  who  held  the  first  place  in  the  pantheon  of 
Nimrod's  age,  still  holds  sway  in  these  inscriptions. 

The  entire  record  reveals  a  condition  of  religious  thought 
upon  the  same  level  with  the  beginnings  of  Greek  mythol- 
ogy. The  Zeus  of  Mount  Olympus  was  the  Dyaus,  or  clear 
sky,  of  their  Aryan  forefathers.  Similarly,  these  Cushite 
and  Semitic  dwellers  on  the  plains  bordering  the  Euphrates 
looked  up  into  the  vault  of  heaven  and  ascribed  personality 
and  deity  to  the  blue  expanse.  Their  chief  god,  Anu,  thus 
soon  became  known  as  the  father  of  the  star  deities — the 
moon,  the  sun  and  the  planets. 

A  fragment  of  the  seventh  and  last  tablet  in  the  series 
refers  to  the  work  of  creation  which  the  book  of  Genesis 
places  on  the  sixth  day: 

1.  At  that  time  the  gods  in  their  assembly  created    .    .    . 

2.  They  made  suitable  the  strong  monsters.     .     .     . 

3.  They  caused  to  come  living  creatures     .     .     . 

4.  Cattle  of  the  field,  beasts  of  the  field  and  creeping 
things  of  the  field. 

5.  They  fixed  for  the  living  creatures     .     .     . 

6.  .  .  .  cattle  and  creeping  things  of  the  city  they 
fixed     .     . 

7.  .     .     .     the  assembly  of  the  creeping  things,  the  whole 

which  were  created     .     .     . 

8.  .     .     .     which  in  the  assembly  of  my  family     .     .     . 

9.  .  .  .  and  the  god  Nin-Siku  joined  the  two  to- 
gether    ... 


STORY  OF  CREATION  IN  THE  BOOK  OF  GENESIS.        77 


10.  .  .  .  to  the  assembly  of  the  creepings  things  I 
gave  life     ... 

11.  .     .     .     the  seed  of  Lakhamu  I  destroyed.* 

So  ends  this  story  of  creation  without  mention  of  the 
greatest  of  created  beings,  man.  Out  of  the  obscurity  of 
the  closing  lines  just  quoted,  some  scholars  attempt  to  draw 
references  to  the  creation  of  human  life  by  the  god  Hea,  who 
appears  on  this  tablet  under  one  of  his  names,  Nin-Siku. 
Other  inscriptions  seem  to  refer  to  Hea  under  the  title,  "  the 
Lord  of  Mankind,"  as  the  creator  of  the  human  race.  A 
very  long  hymn  to  the  creator  Hea,  on  a  tablet  apart  from 
the  creation  series,  refers  to  this  god  under  a  multitude  of 
names:  "The  god  of  life";  of  "good  winds";  of  hearing 
and  obedience";  giver  of  "life  to  the  dead";  "  establisher 
of  fertility."  On  the  obverse  side  of  various  tablets,  how- 
ever, the  statement  is  made  that  these  diverse  titles  all  refer 
to  one  and  the  same  god.  We  are  told  that  the  Creator  has 
fifty  names.  The  interpretation  of  these  statements  does  not 
warrant  the  supposition  that  these  people  believed  in  one, 
true  God.  The  contrary  belief  in  many  gods  is,  the  rather, 
demonstrated.  In  the  ancient  city  of  Eridu,  the  chief  god 
was  called  Hea.  When  the  citizens  of  this  place  repeated 
the  creed  which  ascribed  creation  to  Hea,  they  meant  nothing 
more  than  the  simple  assertion  that  all  created  beings  came 
up  out  of  the  sea.  When  the  burgesses  of  Nipur  called  the 
creator  Anu,  they  believed  that  the  source  of  all  existence 
is  the  sky.  And  the  people  of  Babylon  regarded  the  sun- 
beams as  authors  of  all  things  when  they  called  the  sun  by 
the  names  Bel  or  Merodach,  "  the  lord."  We  find  in  early 
Babylonia  the  same  crudeness  and  the  same  diversity  of 
belief  that  occurs  in  the  folk-lore  of  the  people  of  Greece, 
who  in  one  section  declared  that  men  sprang  from  the  earth, 
or,  in  another,  that  the  goddess  Aphrodite  was  born  of  the 
sea-foam. 

The  Story  of  Creation  in  the  Book  of  Genesis. 

The  first  two  chapters  of  the  book  of  Genesis  contain  what 
the  Pentateuch  has  to  say  concerning  the  beginning  of  the 
universe  and  of  man.  Placed  by  the  side  of  Chaldean  folk- 
lore, this  narrative  in  Genesis  is  as  much  superior  to  the 

♦Smith,  p.  71. 


78  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


cuneiform  account  as  divinity  is  above  humanity.  In  two 
respects,  viz.,  in  regard  to  tjie  facts  dealt  with  and  in  regard 
to  the  purpose  held  in  view  by  the  narrator  of  those  facts, 
the  Chaldean  account  of  Genesis  is  clearly  upon  the  plane 
of  human  imagination,  while  the  record  of  the  Pentateuch 
is  just  as  clearly  upon  the  plane  of  divine  revelation.  That 
this  may  appear,  let  us  trace  the  chief  points  in  the  Penta- 
teuchal  narrative.  The  facts  given  in  these  two  chapters 
deal  with  the  character  of  the  Creator  and  the  character  of 
things  created.  An  examination  of  the  facts  concerning 
created  things  themselves  may  very  properly  be  made  first. 
(1)  "In  the  beginning  God  [Elohim]  created  the  heavens 
and  the  earth.  And  the  earth  was  waste  and  void;  and 
darkness  was  upon  the  face  of  the  deep,  and  the  Spirit  of 
God  [Elohim]  was  brooding  upon  the  face  of  the  waters."  * 
"  The  deep  "  and  "the  chaos,"  which  are  made  the  same  in 
the  Chaldean  Genesis,!  and  denominated  the  mother  of  both 
heaven  and  earth,  are  here  the  first  among  things  cre- 
ated by  the  power  of  Elohim.  After  their  creation  these 
are  still  held  under  absolute  control  by  the  creator  through 
the  agency  of  His  spirit,  who  broods  upon  them.  Yet  these 
first  formless  results  of  the  creative  will  of  Elohim  were 
called  deity  by  the  Babylonians  under  the  name  Tiamat. 
Thus,  in  its  opening  sentence,  the  Pentateuch  carries  us 
back  to  the  beginning  of  all  things,  and  declares  the  god  of 
creation  in  the  Babylonian  catalogue  to  be  simply  a  form 
of  things  created.  In  the  highest  reach  of  their  imagina- 
tion, these  people  attained  only  to  a  knowledge  of  the  crea- 
ture rather  than  of  the  Creator. 

(2)  Origin  of  IiJorganic  Life. 

The  arranging  power  of  Elohim,  foreshadowed  in  the 
brooding  of  His  spirit,  is  outlined  in  the  work  of  the  first 
four  days  of  creation. +  This  work  deals  with  the  universe 
of  matter  already  called  into  existence  by  the  divine  fiat.  The 
forms  of  matter  are  due  to  the  same  power  that  gave  origin 
to  matter.  As  the  various  phases  of  inorganic  life  take 
their  place  in  the  line  of  God's  creative  acts  we  see  the  gods 
of  the  Babylonians  twinkle  into  sight  like  stars  in  the  eve- 

*  Genesis  1 :  1-2.       f  Vid. ,  p.  116.       X  Genesis  1 :  3-19. 


STORY  OF  CREATION  IN  THE  BOOK  OF  GENESIS.         79 


ning  sky.  As  the  work  of  the  second  day  of  creation,  "God 
made  the  firmament,"  and  gave  it  the  name  "  Heaven."  Lol 
here  is  the  chief  deity  in  the  great  Babylonian  triad  of  gods, 
Ann,  the  sk3^  In  the  narrative  of  the  third  day's  work  we 
are  told  that  "the  gathering-place  of  the  waters  called  He 
seas,"  and  we  recognize  the  god  Hea,  the  source  of  all  things 
according  to  the  Chaldean  myth.  On  the  fourth  day  God 
"made  "  and  "placed  in  the  firmament"  the  sun,  the  moon 
and  the  stars.  These  creatures  of  His  power  are  not  even 
dignified  by  a  personal  name,  but  are  called  simply  light- 
bearers,  stationed  in  their  proper  order  and  rank  to  do  His  ser- 
vice. Yet  the  Babylonians  made  out  of  these  material  things 
gods  and  kings,  and  invested  them  with  all  power  and  ma- 
jesty. God  created  the  sun,  but  Cushite  and  Semitic  im- 
agery led  him  forth  in  the  garb  of  divinity.  As  Bel  and 
Merodach,  he  ruled  the  superstitious  minds,  who  at  the 
same  time  looked  up  with  reverence  to  the  moon  as  Sin  and 
to  Venus  as  Istar.  We  need  only  to  trace  more  minutely 
the  details  of  God's  formation  of  inorganic  life  to  find  the 
entire  catalogue  of  Babylonian  gods. 

(3)  Origin  of  Organic  Life. 

Self-moving  existence,  the  animated  part  of  creation,  was 
brought  into  being  on  the  fifth  and  sixth  days.*  As  the 
■"  swarm  of  living  souls  "  come  from  the  Creator's  hand  we 
remember  the  animal  worship  of  the  people  of  Egypt.  The 
narrative  in  Genesis  tells  us  of  the  creation  of  all  the  gods  of 
the  Nile. 

But  we  notice  here  a  great  contrast  in  the  histories  of 
creation.  Man  is  the  climax  in  the  list  of  "  living  souls." 
Not  only  does  he  come  last  and  noblest  from  the  hand  of  the 
Creator,  but  he  bears  the  Creator's  image  and  the  breath 
of  His  life.  This  best  product  of  God's  creative  power 
stands  supreme  in  character  above  the  most  eminent  of  the 
heathen  gods.  The  highest  flights  of  the  heathen  imagina- 
tion never  dreamed  of  an  origin  so  exalted  for  man  himself. 
Debased  by  fear  and  superstition,  they  looked  up  to  the 
forms  of  inorganic  life — sun,  moon  and  stars — as  the  high- 
'est  types  of  existence.     All  these  did  God  create,  and  among 

•  Genesis  1:  20-2:  3. 


80  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


them  he  made  man  the  chief.  Then  He  ceased  from  the 
work  of  creation,  and  looked  upon  it  all  as  holy  and  good. 
The  heathen  conception  of  matter  as  essentially  evil  finds 
no  support  in  the  scriptural  declaration  that  all  matter,  in 
itself,  is  absolutely  good. 

(4)  The  Image  of  God.* 

The  character  of  the  created  universe  has  not  been  suffi- 
ciently stated  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis.  The  revela- 
tion concerning  the  mutual  relation  of  all  the  parts  thereof 
has  not  been  finished.  The  divine  author  of  all  existence 
continues  to  reveal  to  the  writer  of  Genesis  what  is  meant 
by  the  image  of  God  and  breath  of  His  life  and  the  double 
sex  of  the  human  race.  Is  man  simply  the  climax  in  a  self- 
developed  process  of  creation  ?  Is  the  image  of  God  simply 
the  seal  set  upon  the  last  coin  of  a  self-operating  mint  ? 
Not  so.  Of  a  higher  order  than  all  the  rest  of  created  beings 
is  man,  and  so  was  he  made  according  to  the  deliberate  pur- 
pose of  His  Creator. f 

In  behalf  of  man,  the  Lord  God  (Jehovah  Elohim)  con- 
trolled and  directed  all  the  forces  of  created  nature.  The 
formation  of  the  human  race  was  contemplated  even  while 
God  was  creating  the  forms  of  inorganic  life;  for  the  story 
of  man's  creation  is  linked  to  that  period  in  the  six  days 
when  "no  plant  of  the  field  was  yet  upon  the  earth,  and  no 
herb  of  the  field  had  as  yet  sprung  up  ;  for  the  Lord  God 
had  not  yet  caused  it  to  rain  upon  the  earth,  and  men  there 
were  not  to  till  the  ground. "J  Then  the  Lord  God  sent  up 
the  mist  from  the  earth  and  sent  down  the  rain  from  heaven 
and  thus  caused  the  whole  face  of  the  ground  to  become  the 
home  of  plant-life  and  a  suitable  mansion  for  man.  Then 
"  the  Lord  God  formed  man  out  of  the  dust  of  the  ground, "§ 

A  certain  form  of  the  Babylonian  story  of  creation  has 
been  transmitted  through  Berosus,  a  Babylonian  priest-his- 
torian. In  this  form  of  the  myth  it  is  asserted  that  the  god 
Bel  was  decapitated  and  the  blood  that  dropped  down  was 
mingled  with  the  earth,  and  so  was  man  formed.  Even  to 
this  fable  does  the  record  in  Genesis  present  a  striking  con- 
trast.    Not  only  did  the  Lord  God  use  His  infinite  power 

♦Genesis  2  :  4-24.       +  Genesis  1:  26, 27.       X  Genesis  2:5.       g  Genesis  2:  7. 


STORY  OF  CREATION  JN  THE  BOOK  OF  GENESIS.        81 


to  make  the  body  of  man  from  the  dust  of  the  earth,  but  He 
gave  to  him  a  spiritual  nature,  a  fact  far  beyond  the  con- 
ception of  heathen  imagination.  "  He  breathed  into  his 
nostrils  breath  of  life;  and  so  man  became  a  living  soul."* 
The  first  explanation  has  now  been  made  concerning  the 
character  of  man  as  made  in  the  image  of  God.  Not  only  a 
material  body  is  he,  but  also  a  living  soul.  Two  natures 
have  been  moulded  together  in  him — the  nature  of  flesh  and 
the  nature  of  spirit. 

But  the  relationship  between  man  and  God  means  yet 
more  than  this.  The  impress  of  the  divine  image  implies 
that  man  is  endowed  with  reason  and  with  knowledge.  Not 
merely  the  capacity  to  know,  doth  he  possess,  but  many  of 
the  facts  concerning  the  relationship  between  the  parts  of 
creation  are  known  to  him.  He  is  invested  with  authority 
after  the  manner  of  the  Creator's  authority.  The  plants  in 
the  Garden  of  Eden  are  caused  to  spring  up  for  his  benefit 
and  pleasure.  In  four  directions  flow  the  streams  through 
this  garden,  and  man  is  made  the  master  of  it  all.  He  pos- 
sesses faculties  that  enable  him  to  dress  and  keep  the  plants 
of  the  garden  and  to  give  names  to  all  the  beasts  of  the  field. 
He  has  a  personal  history  which  begins  its  course  on  these 
flowery  banks,  and  which  is  made  up  of  actions  prompted 
by  his  own  reason  and  linked  with  creature  and  creator. 

Moreover,  the  possession  of  the  image  of  God  implied  a 
moral  nature  in  man.  Means  were  offered  him  for  the  de- 
velopment of  that  moral  nature,  just  as  food  and  poM^er  were 
bestowed  for  the  strengthening  of  his  body  and  his  reason. 
By  abstaining  from  the  fruit  of  the  tree  in  the  midst  of  the 
garden,  the  man's  character  with  reference  to  right  and 
wrong  was  to  be  built  up  in  goodness,  just  as  partaking  of 
other  fruit  was  to  build  up  his  body.  The  penalt}^  for  vol- 
untary disobedience  made  its  appeal  to  the  man's  moral 
nature.  It  indicated  that  he  possessed  knowledge  and  right- 
eousness. Conformity  to  God's  standard  was  one  of  his 
characteristics  and  the  stability  of  his  moral  nature  was  to 
keep  him  in  that  state  of  righteousness. 

Holiness,  likewise,  was  a  result  of  the  possession  of  God's 
image.  Not  merely  because  God's  own  nature,  the  source  of 
man's   nature,  appears  in   the  narrative   as  holy,  but  man 

*  Gen.:  2-7. 
6 


82  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


himself  as  a  part  of  creation  was  pronounced  to  be  "  good," 
and  that  goodness  was  left  dependent  upon  his  own  obedience. 
All  of  creation  was  good,  but  man's  goodness  had  its  seat  in 
his  rational,  moral  nature,  and  he  might  change  it  if  he 
chose.  Such  a  future  choice  of  evil  rather  than  of  good  is 
pointed  out  as  the  cause  of  deterioration  in  character.  "  In 
the  day  that  thou  eatest  ....  thou  shalt  surely  die." 
The  highest  condition  of  rational  and  spiritual  life  is 
meant  by  the  possession  of  God's  image.  Final  emphasis 
is  laid  upon  this  truth  when  we  are  told  that  none  of  the 
animals  were  of  such  a  nature  as  to  share  the  responsibility 
of  man's  position.  In  body  and  in  spirit  they  were  not  fit 
helpers  and  companions  for  his  exalted  calling.  Flesh  of 
his  flesh  was  woman  formed,  to  be  the  very  counterpart  of 
himself — physically,  intellectually  and  spiritually — to  help 
him  carry  out  the  duties  of  his  calling  as  the  bearer  of  the 
divine  image. 

Jehovah  is  God. 

Another  series  of  facts  in  these  two  chapters  remains  for 
our  examination.  These  facts  relate  to  the  Creator  Him- 
self. 

The  unity  of  the  godhead  is  clearly  stated  in  the  midst 
of  a  diversity  of  creative  acts.  Thirty-five  times  is  Elohim 
named  as  the  creator  of  both  inorganic  and  organic  life.* 
The  same  unity  is  declared  in  connection  with  God's  revela- 
tion of  Himself.  The  Elohim  who  stamped  His  image  upon 
man  is  the  same  as  Jehovah  Elohim  who  laid  responsibility 
upon  Adam,  making  him  the  image  of  the  divine  power 
and  authority.  As  our  God,  who  created  man  and  began 
immediately  to  make  Himself  known  to  His  creatures,  does 
He  appear  in  these  two  chapters.  The  name  Elohim  de- 
scribes Him  as  a  being  of  infinite  power  and  majesty.  The 
name  Jehovah  means  simply  that  He  is  The  Eternal  One. 
Where  the  second  chapter  continues  the  story  of  creation  by 
using  the  title  Jehovah  Elohim,  we  have  simply  the  state- 
ment that  Elohim,  who  existed  already  in  the  beginning 
before  His  first  creative  act,  still  continues  the  same  God  in 
His  establishment  of  a  vital  relationship  between  Himself 
and  man. 

*Gen.  1:  1—2:  3. 


THE  PURPOSE  OF  THE  NARRATIVE.  83 


The  continuity  of  these  facts  in  the  two  chapters  appears 
still  more  clearly  when  we  are  told  that  the  Elohim  who 
existed  as  a  rational  Being  in  the  beginning  and  caused 
things  to  exist  outside  of  Himself  by  the  mere  power  of  His 
will;  the  Elohim,  whose  spirit  was  present  as  the  agent  of 
His  will  in  controlling  and  ordering  created  things;  the 
Elohim  who  pronounced  His  own  work  good  and  made  the 
seventh  day  holy  by  stamping  His  own  nature  upon  it, 
making  it  the  type  of  Himself;  the  Elohim  who  created 
man,  male  and  female  in  his  own  likeness;  that  this  creator 
and  revealer  through  His  works  is  also  the  creator  and  re- 
vealer  through  His  word.  Jehovah,  the  ever-living,  is  the 
same  with  Elohim,  the  all-powerful.  Elohim,  the  God  of 
eternal  power  and  personality,  is  also  Jehovah  Elohim,  the 
God  who  communes  with  the  creatures  of  His  handiwork. 
These  facts  are  entirely  bej^ond  the  range  of  the  folk-lore  we 
have  just  examined.  A  personal  God  endowed  with  all  rea- 
sonable and  moral  and  spirital  faculties  as  the  back-ground 
of  His  power  and  of  His  self-revelation  unto  man,  was  un- 
known to  Babylonian  mythology. 

The  Purpose  of  the  Narrative. 

The  purpose  underlying  the  recital  of  all  these  facts  is  not 
of  human  but  of  divine  origin.  That  purpose  belongs  to 
both  chapters  as  a  unit,  and  may  be  thus  expressed:  The 
nnaking  of  man  as  the  best  part  of  the  work  of  creation.  The 
relationship  between  God  and  things  created  is  set  forth 
finally  in  the  declaration  that  the  highest  result  of  the  crea- 
tive agency  bears  God's  image.  The  establishment  of  this 
relationship  is  the  single  purpose  kept  in  view  from  the  be- 
ginning to  the  end  of  Gen.  1-2.  That  this  may  appear 
more  clearly,  let  us  recall  certain  facts: 

(1)  In  the  end  of  the  sixth  day  God  created  man  in  His 
image,  male  and  female,  and  said  unto  them,  have  dominion 
over  every  living  thing.  (Gen.  1:  28.)  The  end  of  the 
sixth  day  must,  therefore,  have  been  the  time  when  Adam 
and  Eve  stood  together  as  lords  of  the  garden  of  Eden. 
(Gen.  2:  25.) 

(2)  The  seventh  day  whereon  God  rested  from  all  His 
work  was  the  day  following  the  close, of  active  creation,  de- 
scribed in  Gen.  1:  1 — 2:  3,  and  also  the  day  following  the 


84  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


close  of  active  creation,  described  in  Gen.  2:  4-25.  The  day 
of  God's  cessation  from  creative  agency  was  the  day  when 
Adam  and  Eve  were  not  ashamed  before  Him  and  entered 
upon  their  stewardship  in  Paradise. 

(3)  The  establishment  of  the  Sabbath  is  implied  at  the 
close  of  2:  4-25,  as  it  is  stated  at  the  close  of  1:  1-2:  3. 
In  both  cases  the  Sabbath  is  the  symbol  of  the  relationship 
between  God  and  man.  At  the  close  of  1:  1-2:  3  the  Sab- 
bath is  the  sign  of  the  fact  that  man  bears  God's  image;  at 
the  close  of  2:  4-25,  the  Sabbath  symbolizes  the  beginning 
of  that  kind  of  life  devolved  upon  him  by  the  possession  of 
his  maker's  image. 

(4)  It  is  very  clear  that  Gen.  1 :  1-2:  3  and  Gen.  2:  4-25, 
both  carry  the  story  of  creation  from  the  beginning  through 
six  active  days  as  far  as  the  opening  of  the  seventh  day. 
They  both  set  forth,  the  one  directly,  the  other  by  implica- 
tion, the  Sabbath-day  as  a  symbol  of  what  God  has  accom- 
plished. They  both  declare  that  creation  has  culminated  in 
Adam  and  Eve,  stamped  with  the  image  of  Jehovah,  who  is 
God.  The  first  part  of  the  entire  narrative  tells  how  they 
came  to  possess  that  image,  and  the  second  part  tells  how 
they  began  to  exercise  the  rights  and  privileges  implied  in 
its  possession. 

(5)  The  revelation  of  this  one  chief  purpose  of  creation 
is  the  single  purpose  that  underlies  the  narrative  in  Gen. 
1-2. 

Further  than  this,  it  is  very  clear  that  this  purpose  is  im- 
bedded in  the  facts  themselves.  The  facts  were  revealed  by 
God  Himself;  the  purpose  is  God's.  This  establishes  the 
strong  presumption  that  all  of  the  facts  in  Gen.  1-2  were 
made  known  to  a  single  writer  at  one  time,  since  all  of  these 
facts  are  necessary  to  the  statement  of  a  single  purpose. 

The  attempt  to  Ilnd  two  purposes  in  these  two  chapters  is 
a  vain  search.  *  The  institution  of  the  Sabbath  is  not  the 
primary  purpose  of  Gen.  1:  1-2:  3.  Nor  is  it  the  primary 
purpose  of  Gen.  2:  4-25,  in  itself,  to  furnish  a  prelude  to  the 
fall.  This  latter  part  is  not  a  beginning  but  a  climax,  and 
that  climax  is  the  same  with  the  climax  of  the  story  of 
creation  in  the  first  part,  and  the  double  culmination  is  sym- 
bolized in  the  Sabbath. 

*br.  Harper  in  Biblical  World,  Jan.  and  Feb.,  '94. 


GENESIS  AND  SCIENCE.  85 


The  assertion  that  this  story  of  creation  is  nothing  more 
than  a  piece  of  Semitic  legend*  is  confuted  by  the  Baby- 
lonian myths.  These  facts  in  Genesis  are  beyond  the  reach 
of  human  imagination.  From  God's  own  lips  were  they 
spoken,  and  by  an  inspired  scribe  were  they  set  at  the  foun- 
dation of  that  great  structure  of  Revelation  afterwards  to  be 
completed  by  the  words  spoken  to  Isaiah  and  to  Paul  and 
to  John.  As  revealed  facts,  the  discussion  of  their  form, 
apart  from  the  underlying  substance  of  truth,  may  not  be 
permitted.  Herein  is  found  the  weak  point  in  the  armor  of 
the  new  school  of  criticism.  The  leaders  of  this  school 
claim  to  deal  only  with  the  /orm  of  the  Biblical  narratives, 
but  not  to  assault  the  fact  of  Revelation. f  Vain  claim  ! 
The  form  and  the  fact  are  bound  in  unbreakable  bonds.  To 
say  that  the  form  of  this  creation  story  places  it  upon  the 
same  plane  with  the  creation  myths  of  Babylon  and  Greece 
is,  in  effect,  to  affirm  that  the  same  human  causes  underlie 
both  forms.  This  is,  in  effect,  to  deny  that  the  Genesis  his- 
tory is  divine  revelation. 

But  we  have  later  scriptural  authority  that  the  story  of 
creation  in  Genesis  i.-ii.  is  divine  revelation.  "The  first 
man,  Adam,  was  made  a  living  soul  ;  the  last  Adam  a  quick- 
ening spirit. "+  The  representative  head  of  the  race  was  that 
first  man.  His  acts  were  binding  on  all  his  progeny.  This 
truth  could  not  be  dreamed  by  men.  It  was  revealed  by 
God,  and  its  authoritative  statement  for  all  time  was  made 
in  the  story  of  creation.  To  set  forth  that  headship  of  the 
race  and  supremacy  over  all  created  things  is  the  one  pur- 
pose of  the  narrative  in  the  first  two  chapters  of  Genesis. 

Genesis  and  Science. 

The  teachings  of  the  modern  science  of  geology  have  been 
urged  as  indications  that  the  Genesis  story  of  creation  does 
not  reveal  the  true  history  of  the  development  of  the  earth 
out  of  a  chaotic  mass.  Up  to  a  very  recent  date  it  has  been 
regarded  as  a  sufficient  answer  to  say  that  the  creation  day 
in  Genesis  i.  was  not  a  day  of  twenty-four  hours,  but  a  long 
geologic  period. §     But  now  it  is  held  by  certain  scholars  that 

*Brigg3:  The  Higher  Criticism  of  the  Hexateuch.  Ryle:  The  Early  Narratives  of 
Genesis.  +  Driver's  Int.  to  Lit.  of  Old  Test.,  p.  xi.  1 1.  Cor.,  15-45.  §Delitzsch  on 
Genesis  1. 


86  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


the  period  indicated  by  the  writer  of  the  history  in  Genesis 
can  be  only  the  ordinary  day  of  twenty-four  hours.*  Along 
with  this  contention  we  have  the  statement  that  "  there  is 
no  question  that  the  order  of  creation  indicated  in  the  story 
is  in  general  that  which  science  teaches."  However  near 
this  may  approach  the  exact  truth,  let  us  remember  that  the 
writer  of  Genesis  does  not  mean  to  give  a  treatise  on  science. 
He  is  revealing  the  result  of  God's  creative  fiat  in  the  as- 
cending scale  of  importance  until  the  climax  of  humanity 
is  reached.  Science  has  not  yet  established  the  fact  that 
error  exists  in  the  statements  of  the  divine  record.  While 
the  case  stands  thus,  the  presumption  remains  unshaken 
that  the  narrative  in  Genesis  is  in  all  respects  absolutely 
true. 

*  Drs.  Harper  and  Dods,  Vid.  Biblical  World,  pp.  6-16,  January,  1894. 


THE  SACRED  TREE  OF  ERIDU.  87 


CHAPTER   VI. 

The  Origin  and  Progress  of  Evil 

[Genesis  3-5.] 

The  Sacred  Tree  of  Eridu. 

CARVED  upon  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  bas-reliefs,  there 
often  appears  a  tree,  or  plant,  guarded  on  each  side 
by  a  winged  figure,  who  bears  sometimes  the  head  of  a 
man,  sometimes  of  an  eagle.  The  tree  is  usually  represented 
as  a  "  plant  of  medium  height,  inclining  to  a  pyramidal 
shape,  having  a  trunk  furnished  with  numerous  branches, 
and  at  its  base  a  bunch  of  broad  leaves.*  Since  it  generally 
bears  fircones  upon  its  branches,  this  tree  is  most  probably 
referred  to  in  the  following  inscription: 

1.  In  Eridu  a  dark  pine  grew;  in  an  illustrious  place  it 
was  planted. 

2.  Its  root  was  of  white  crystal,  which  spread  towards 
the  deep. 

3.  The  (shrine?)  of  Hea  was  its  pasturage  in  Eridu,  a  ca- 
nal of  water. 

4.  Its  seat  was  the  central  place  of  this  earth. 

5.  Its  shrine  was  the  couch  of  Mother  Zicum,  the  mother 
of  gods  and  men. 

6.  The  roof  of  its  illustrious  temple,  like  a  forest,  spread 
its  shade;  there  was  none  who  within  entered. 

7.  It  was  the  seat  of  the  mighty  Mother  Zicum,  the  be- 
getter of  Anu.f 

The  city  of  Eridu  was  the  chief  centre  of  the  worship  of 
the  god  Hea,  and  since  this  deity  was  sometimes  called  "the 
Lord  of  Life,"  scholars  like  Lenormant  and  Smith  affirm 
that  this  sculptured  plant  is  the  "Tree  of  Life"  mentioned 
in  Genesis.  As  further  confirmation  of  this  view,  reference 
is  made  to  a  Babylonian  seal  now  in  the  British  Mus§um. 
Upon  this  seal  is  carved  a  tree  "with  a  human  figure  seated 
on  either  side  of  it,  with  the   hands   stretched  out  towards 

*  Lenormanf  s  The  Beginnings  of  History,  p.  86.    t  Smith's  Chaldean  Genesis,  vi'- 
8&-86. 


88  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


the  fruit,  and  a  serpent  standing  erect  behind  one  of  them. 

It  must  be  admitted,   however,  that  the  two 

figures  seem  both  to  be  males."* 

No  evidence  has  yet  come  to  the  light  to  show  that  these 
figures  symbolize  the  fall  of  our  first  parents  through  the 
temptation  of  the  serpent.  There  are,  however,  certain 
facts  in  the  Babylonian  folk-lore  that  seem  to  fit  in  with 
these  figured  symbols  to  make  a  complete  story.  The  sun- 
god,  Merodach,  is  represented  in  the  legends  as  contending 
with  Tiamat,  the  "  chaos  of  the  sea"  or  the  "  serpent  of  dark- 
ness." Tiamat  is  also  called  the  "  monster  of  seven  heads, 
like  the  huge  serpent  of  seven  heads,"  who  lashes  the  sea 
into  waves.  Against  this  deity  of  the  power  of  darkness 
comes  the  power  of  the  light,  Merodach.  A  flaming  sword 
he  bears: 

"  The  sun  of  fifty  faces,  the  lofty  weapon  of  my  divinity,  I  bear. 
The  hero  that  striketh  the  mountains,  the  propitious  sun  of  the 

morning,  that  is  mine,  I  bear. 
My  mighty  weapon  which,  like  an  orb,  smites  in  a  circle  the  corpses 

of  the  fighters,  I  bear."t 

The  lightning  is  evidently  this  sword  of  the  sun-god,  with 
which  he  hews  his  way  to  victory  through  opposing  dark- 
ness. Merodach 's  conquest  of  the  serpent-headed  deity  of 
darkness,  "  the  dragon  of  the  deep,"  may  be  an  obscure  re- 
ference to  the  expulsion  of  the  serpent-seduced  Adam  and 
Eve  from  Eden,  and  Merodach's  sword  may  be  a  suggestion 
of  the  flaming  sword  that  guarded  the  way  to  the  tree  of  life. 
But  more  probably  this  story  is  only  a  form  of  the  ever-re- 
curring myth  of  the  struggle  between  light  and  darkness. 
A  certain  moral  significance  gradually  attached  itself  to'this 
legend.  For  the  seven  heads  of  the  god  of  darkness  came 
to  represent  seven  evil  spirits.  In  many  incantations  the 
gods  are  called  upon  to  ward  off  the  power  of  these  demons: 

"  Seven  are  they,  seven  are  they  ! 
In  the  abyss  of  the  deep,  seven  are  they. 
In  the  brightness  of  heaven,  seven  are  they. 

Law  and  order  know  they  not. 

Prayer  and  supplication  hear  they  not. 

Among  the  thorns  of  the  mountains  was  their  growth, 

To  Hea  are  they  hostile. 

The  thronebearers  of  the  gods  are  they. 

Disturbers  in  the are  they  set. 

Evil  are  they,  baleful  are  they."  % 

♦Smith's  Chald.  Genesis,  p,89.    +  Smith's  Chald.  Genesis,  p.  86.    t  Budge's  Baby- 
lonian Life  and  History,  p.  137. 


BABYLONIANS  HELD  PHYSICAL  ORIGIN  OF  EVIL.       89 

As  the  hidden  source  of  diseases  and  bodily  evils,  these 
spirits  are  thus  personified.  Thus  did  the  myth  of  Mero- 
dach  and  Tiamat  lift  its  dark  front  into  the  domestic  life  of 
the  Babylonians  as  the  basis  of  foul  superstitions  and  sorce- 
ries. The  storm-clouds  were  the  seven  evil  spirits  who  op- 
pressed the  life  of  men.  The  spirit  of  the  southwest  wind 
was  the  king  of  terrors  among  these  evil  demons.  With 
glaring  eyeballs  was  he  pictured  in  little  clay  images;  amu- 
lets were  worn  to  ward  off  this  bringer  of  death.  With  fear 
of  their  gods  and  demons  were  these  ancient  people  ever 
weighed  down.  Even  their  prayers,  as  found  in  the  cunei- 
form inscriptions,  are  mere  grovellings  and  supplications 
before  some  atmospheric  monster  : 

"  O  my  goddess  that  knowest  that  I  knew  not, my  transgression  is  great, 
many  are  my  sins. 
The  sin  that  I  committed  I  knew  not. 
The  sin  that  I  sinned  I  knew  not. 
The  forbidden  things  did  I  eat. 

The did  I  trample  upon. 

My  lord  in  the  wrath  of  his  heart  has  punished  me. 
God  in  the  strength  of  his  heart  has  overpowed  me. 
I  lay  on  the  ground  and  no  man  extended  the  hand. 
In  tears  I  dissolved  myself  and  none  my  palms  took. 
I  cried  aloud;  there  was  none  that  would  hear  me. 
The  feet  of  my  goddess  I  embraced."* 

Babylonians  Held  Physical  Origin  of  Evil. 

As  this  old  heathen  creed  thus  passes  in  review  before  us 
we  see  that,  with  them,  evil  had  a  physical  origin.  It  had 
its  seat  in  the  devastating  power  of  the  storm-cloud  or  in 
the  deadly  fury  of  the  malarial  winds  that  swept  over  the 
plains.  The  pantheon  of  great  gods  had  no  power  to  give 
complete  protection,  and  hence  did  they  build  about  them- 
selves a  fortress  of  sorceries  and  magical  rites.  Gross  super- 
stition bound  them  fast  to  the  earth.  No  mercy  dwelt  in 
the  heart  of  the  cloud-monsters.  There  was  no  hope  in  such 
a  creed.  Downward  into  "the  land  of  no  return"  were  they 
driven  by  these  fear-inspiring  gods.  Even  the  "prayer" 
just  quoted  is  merely  a  cry  of  anguish  against  the  cruelty 
of  the  god.  There  nowhere  exists  in  the  Babylonian  reli- 
gion the  idea  of  holiness  as  an  attribute  of  the  gods.  The 
sin  which  is  so  often  confessed  is  not  a  violation  of  the  right- 
eous standard  of  the  gods — for  they  have  no  such  standard. 

*  Budge,  p.  146. 


90  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


The  god  is  capricious  and  cruel,  and  the  fear  of  punishment 
is  the  nearest  approach  this  prayer  makes  to  an  expression 
of  penitence.  Not  the  horror  of  sin  as  an  evil  thing,  but  the 
horror  of  punishment  as  a  cruel  thing,  is  the  leading  senti- 
ment of  the  suppliant's  cry. 

The  Fall  of  Man  and  His  Expulsion  from  Eden. 

Perhaps  the  most  striking  fact  that  appears  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  third  chapter  of  Genesis  is  the  continuity  of  th^ 
narrative.  The  same  joyous  paradise  offers  its  fruits  to  the 
man  and  woman  as  lords  of  the  forest  and  the  field.  The 
same  exaltation  over  the  brute  creation  stamps  these  parents 
of  the  human  race.  The  same  exalted  relationship  with  the 
Creator  is  still  the  privilege  of  the  first  pair,  created,  as  they 
were,  in  the  image  of  God.  To  outline  the  continuance  of 
that  relationship,  with  a  view  to  a  clearer  manifestation  of 
God,  is  the  evident  aim  of  this  sacred  narrative.  The  com- 
munion between  the  Creator  and  His  creature  is  most  inti- 
mate. Their  relationship  is  set  forth  on  an  exalted  plane  of 
life.  The  image-relationship  is  followed  by  the  obedience- 
relationship.  God  institutes  His  moral  government  over 
His  creatures.  His  character  as  a  moral  being  comes  into 
touch  with  them,  and  they  are  trained  to  act  from  the 
prompting  of  moral  and  spiritual  motives.  God  walks  and 
talks  with  His  creatures,  and  unto  them  makes  revelations 
through  the  medium  of  their  intelligence. 

Voluntarily  these  creatures  violate  God's  command.  Wil- 
lingly they  obey  the  suggestion  of  the  serpent  and  eat  the 
forbidden  fruit.  The  serpent  is  only  the  instrument  of  Sa- 
tan, the  spiritual  adversary,  the  prince  of  the  power  of  evil, 
for  immediately  after  their  disobedience  Adam  and  Eve  are 
made  to  see  the  evil  which  they  have  chosen  and  the  holi- 
ness which  they  have  rejected.  Spiritual  truths  are  revealed 
to  man  under  symbolic  forms  that  are  unmistakable.  All 
these  truths  belong  to  the  realm  of  the  reason  and  the  soul, 
and  they  centre  about  the  free  exercise  of  choice  in  the  mind 
of  the  man  himself. 

(1)  The  act  of  disobedience  wrought  its  first  result  upon 
their  own  minds.  The  eyes  of  Adam  and  Eve  were  opened 
to  see  the  ruin  that  had  seized  upon  their  own  characters. 
The  shame  which  caused  them  to  flee  behind  garments  of 


FALL  OF  MAN  AND  HIS  EXPULSION  FROM  EDEN.        91 


fig-leaves  was  only  a  mute  expression  of  the  trembling  fear 
that  hurried  them  from  God's  presence.  The  outward  man- 
ifestation of  this  inward  sentiment  was  the  revelation  of 
their  own  fall  in  spiritual  character.  They  were  lower  in 
the  scale  of  being  than  they  had  been,  and  they  knew  it, 
and  their  degradation  centred  around  that  voluntary  act 
committed  against  their  better  knowledge.  The  eating  of 
the  fruit  was  the  expression  of  a  change  that  took  place  in 
the  innermost  shrine  of  their  spiritual  being,  and  upon  that 
spiritual  part  of  the  human  temple  did  the  penalty  now 
fasten  itself.  Man  deliberately  and  voluntarily  flung  away 
that  attribute  of  his  soul  which  made  him  find  congenial 
companionship  in  the  presence  of  his  Creator.  He  saw  the 
full  meaning  of  holiness  only  when  he  had  lost  it. 

(2)  God's  curse  upon  the  serpent  was  the  severest  part 
of  the  result  of  disobedience.  By  placing  the  serpent  above 
ever}^  beast  of  the  field  in  the  scale  of  His  displeasure,  God 
made  it  clear  that  the  crawling  animal  was  only  the  repre- 
sentative of  some  spirtual  power.  The  serpent  was  the 
mouthpiece  of  those  spiritual  whisperings  that  suggested 
man's  disobedience — and  those  whisperings  had  their  source 
in  a  personal  evil  being  who  was  to  carry  on  a  warfare 
against  the  coming  generations  of  the  human  race.  The 
friendship  of  the  serpent  was  only  a  victory  of  this  spiritual 
enem}'-  over  Adam  and  Eve,  and  he  was  ready  to  strive  for 
similar  victories  until  the  seed  of  the  woman  should  crush 
him  forever.  Thus  does  God  declare  that  evil,  or  unholi- 
ness,  is  represented  in  the  spiritual  world  by  a  personal  head 
who  can  use  all  the  weapons  of  reason  and  language,  and 
by  a  principle  which  may  take  up  its  dwelling  in  the  human 
soul  in  the  form  of  a  fixed  resolve.  In  such  a  connection 
does  the  Lord  reveal  the  elements  of  man's  relationship  with 
Himself  and  at  the  same  time  foretell  the  Saviour,  "  the 
seed  of  the  woman  "  who  will  crush  the  head  of  the  prince 
of  evil  and  give  to  every  man  a  new  principle  as  the  foun- 
dation of  moral  character. 

(3)  The  ideas  of  holiness  and  mercy  which  God  makes 
known  to  man  as  the  stones  that  rest  by  the  side  of  His  ab- 
solute sovereignty  over  man  and  beast  in  the  foundations 
of  His  moral  government — these  ideas  are  still  more  clearly 
brought  out  in  the  spiritual   character  of  the   penalty  al- 


92  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


lotted  to  Adam  and  Eve.  The  death  foretold  as  the  result 
of  eating  the  forbidden  fruit  is  now  specially  pointed  out  as 
belonging  to  the  realm  of  spirit.  '^  I  will  greatly  multiply 
thy  sorrow  "  is  the  form  in  which  God  expresses  to  the  woman 
the  fact  that  her  disobedience  has  sent  an  arrow  into  her 
own  soul.  The  anguish  of  spirit  that  seizes  upon  a  woman 
in  travail  is  a  symbol  of  that  trembling  unto  death  that  has 
entered  into  every  soul.  '*  Cursed  is  the  ground  for  thy 
sake  "  is  the  sentence  of  death  upon  the  man.  With  refer- 
ence to  himself,  the  power  of  death  has  touched  the  earth 
and  made  it  the  producer  of  much  sorrow  and  soul-trouble. 
In  sorrow  and  in  labor  must  he  draw  his  sustenance  from, 
the  earth,  and  after  the  pangs  of  dissolution  must  he  become 
dust  again. 

Thus,  as  a  climax  in  this  revelation  of  His  own  holiness, 
God  drives  the  human  pair  from  His  presence.  Unholiness 
has  set  her  seal  upon  them  and  they  must  take  up  their 
abode  in  the  fields  of  the  earth,  which  is  cursed  for  their 
sake.  The  cherubim  and  the  flaming  sword  guard  the  way 
to  the  Tree  of  Life.  This  food  of  holiness  and  immortality 
must  be  regained  through  spiritual  warfare. 

Thus  does  the  narrative  in  Genesis  start  the  human  race 
upon  its  journey  in  an  obedience-relationship  with  God. 
Backward  upon  a  period  of  physical  and  spiritual  prosperity 
do  they  look  as  they  think  of  the  Garden  of  Eden.  Winged 
figures,  representing  the  race  of  all  animated  creation  serv- 
ing the  Creator  as  the  attendants  of  His  presence,  and  the 
flame  of  fire  made  the  instrument  of  His  power,  continue 
to  call  after  the  departing  man  and  woman  the  lessons  of 
His  authority  and  His  love.  Not  merely  penalty  but  like- 
wise promise  do  they  sj^mbolize.  They  are  the  servants  of 
a  holy  God — all  creation  renders  obedient  service  to  Him. 
Only  in  the  soul  of  man  has  disobedience  been  found. 
There  has  evil  found  its  first  resting-place  on  the  earth. 
The  source  of  all  the  evils  that  rest  upon  him  is  in  the 
heart  of  the  man  himself.  In  that  same  spiritual  kingdom 
must  the  battle  be  fought  for  the  conquest  of  the  prince  of 
evil  and  the  regaining  of  holiness  and  the  joy  of  God's 
presence. 

It  is  this  idea  of  holiness  as  an  actual  attribute  of  God 
and  as  a  possible  attribute  of  man  that  marks  the  narrative 


THE  CAINITES  AND  THE  SETHITES.  93 


in  Genesis  as  divine  and  not  human.  The  vague  pencil- 
ings  of  the  figure  of  the  sacred  tree  of  Eridu  and  the  myth 
of  the  struggle  between  light  and  darkness  in  the  persons 
of  Merodach  and  Tiamat  are  but  imaginative  mists  in  the 
presence  of  this  clear  revelation  from  God  himself.  The 
bare  facts  themselves  and  also  the  form  of  presentation  must 
have  been  suggested  by  the  divine  voice  unto  the  scribe 
who  wrote  them  down. 

The  Cainites  and  the  Sethites. 

In  the  fourth  and  fifth  chapters  of  Genesis,  the  divine  re- 
cord continues  to  speak  concerning  holiness  and  evil.  Each 
of  these  principles  is  subject  to  growth.  Each  of  them  makes 
progress  upon  the  plane  of  the  obedience-relationship  with 
God.  Obedience  tends  to  the  growth  of  holiness,  and  this 
means  a  nearer  approach  into  His  presence.  Disobedience 
fosters  the  progress  of  evil  in  the  heart — and  this  means  a 
further  flight  from  His  presence. 

In  the  offerings  of  Cain  and  Abel  we  have  the  practical 
workings  of  the  obedience-relationship  after  the  expulsion 
from  Eden.  God  required  of  men  an  offering — an  expres- 
sion of  gratitude  from  the  creature  to  the  Creator.  The  wor- 
ship of  Himself  was  to  be  the  central  element  in  human  life. 
This  worship  was  to  be  the  expression  of  love  and  not  of  ter- 
ror. It  was  to  be  based  upon  the  intelligent  reception  of 
God's  revelations.  For  Abel's  sacrifice  of  the  firstlings  of 
his  flock  and  the  fat  thereof  was  a  more  acceptable  offering 
to  God  than  Cain's  fruit  of  the  ground,  because  of  Abel's 
disposition  of  mind.  His  faith*  was  made  manifest  in  the 
offering,  while  Cain  only  showed  his  insolence.  The  rela- 
tionship between  God  and  his  creatures  still  inhered  in  the 
realm  of  reason  and  spirit.  For  Abel's  faith  evidently  rested 
upon  his  clearer  knowledge  of  the  Lord's  revelations.  The 
sacrifice  of  blood  had  clearly  been  commanded  by  the  Lord 
as  a  symbol  of  the  obedience-relationship.  All  the  facts 
hitherto  made  known  in  the  narrative  show  that  this  rela- 
tionship is  in  the  inner  life  of  the  spirit.  Evidently,  then, 
the  Lord  had  said  that  the  formal  intercourse  of  this  rela- 

*  Hebrews  11  :  4. 


94  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


tionship  should  be  typified  only  by  blood.  Abel  understood 
and  obeyed — Cain  did  neither,  because  he  had  not  the  desire. 
The  Lord  punishes  evil.  So  runs  the  narrative.  Spirit- 
ual anguish,  an  unbearable  burden  of  it,  came  upon  Cain 
for  his  persistence  in  the  course  of  sin.  Hatred  and  mur- 
der have  made  him  unfit  for  the  presence  of  God  and  even 
for  the  presence  of  good  men.  Off  into  the  land  of  "  ban- 
ishment" (Nod)  was  he  driven,  and  there  his  generations  con- 
tinued in  the  pursuit  of  evil.  Cain  built  the  first  city; 
Lamech  established  polygamy;  Jabal  introduced  the  noma- 
dic form  of  life;  .Jubal  first  contrived  instruments  of  music; 
Tubal-Cain  was  the  first  artificer  in  brass  and  iron; 
Lamech's  song  of  the  sword  is  written  in  the  stately  lan- 
guage of  poetry.  A  high  cultivation  of  the  arts  and  a  suc- 
cessful seeking  after  the  luxuries  of  life  was  the  result  of 
the  efforts  of  the  Cainites.  But  they  were  a  sensual,  dis- 
obedient and  lawless  race.  In  Lamech  the  generations  of 
Cain  reached  a  climax  of  outlawry: 

"  For  I  slay  a  man  if  he  woundeth  me, 
Even  a  young  man  if  he  hurteth  me, 
Lo!  Cain  would  be  avenged  seven-fold, 
But  Lamech  seventy-and-seven  fold."* 

These  words  of  insolent  defiance  imply  that  the  line  of 
disobedient  men  has  resulted  in  an  outlaw  who  takes  ven- 
geance into  his  own  hands. 

Contrasted  with  these  evil-doers  is  the  line  of  Seth.  They 
come  nearer  and  nearer  into  touch  with  the  Lord  because 
they  start  out  by'callingon  the  name  of  Jehovah.  The  God 
who  reveals  Himself  is  besought  to  make  still  further  known 
all  His  plans  for  the  life  of  men.  The  Sethites  are  the  suc- 
cessors of  Abel  in  their  cultivation  of  knowledge  and  faith. 
Two  great  landmarks  stand  out  in  this  faithful  generation. 
Enoch  walks  with  God  and  is  translated  without  suffering 
the  pangs  of  death.  Noah  marks  the  climax  in  this  con- 
trast between  the  two  races.  The  restlessness  of  the  Cain- 
ites is  opposed  to  the  "  comfort"  which  Lamech  predicts  for 
the  sons  of  Seth  through  the  character  and  work  of  Noah. 
A  confidence  and  trust  in  God's  mercy  and  in  His  willing- 
ness to  make  further  revelation  of  Himself  is  stamped  upon 
these  men  who  aspire  after  holiness. 

*  Genesis  4:  23. 


THE  DOCUMENTARY  THEORY.  95 


The  Documentary  Theory. 

The  supposition  that  two  ancient  documents  have  been 
pieced  together  to  form  the  narrative  of  the  two  human 
types  is  controverted  by  the  facts.  The  two  genealogies  are 
given  to  ilUistrate  God's  holiness  and  His  hatred  of  sin,  and 
how  these  facts  constitute  the  central  factors  in  the  life  of 
men.  The  idea  of  holiness  as  a  mark  of  human  character 
sp'ringing  from  God's  holiness  was  absolutely  unknown  to 
heathen  mythology.  Men  never  dreamed  of  such  a  relation- 
ship. God  had  to  reveal  it.  In  making  the  revelation  He 
must  needs  dictate  the  form  of  the  narrative.  Human 
actions  were  woven  into  a  narrative  to  express  the  divine 
message.  God  directed  the  writer  in  choosing  the  character 
of  that  narrative.  A  complete  unity  of  thought  and  pur- 
pose stamps  the  history  in  Genesis,  thus  far  examined,  as 
the  message  delivered  to  one  inspired  writer. 


96  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
The  deluge. 

The  Babylonian  Legend. 

IN  the  twelve  tablets,  or  cantos,  of  the  epic  of  Gizdhubar  is 
incorporated  the  largest  known  cycle  of  Babylonian  folk- 
lore. Three  cuneiform  copies  of  this  mythological  work 
were  found  in  the  royal  library  of  Asshur-bani-pal,  and  a 
fourth  edition  has  been  handed  down  through  the  copy 
made  by  Berosus,  the  priest.  Mr.  George  Smith  who  un- 
earthed the  three  editions  of  the  clay  tablets  was  of  the 
opinion  that  Gizdhubar  was  the  Nimrod  of  the  Book  of 
Genesis.  But  no  adequate  evidence  in  support  of  this  con- 
jecture has  yet  come  to  the  light.  The  course  of  this  epic 
narrative  points  very  clearly  to  the  fact  that  Gizdhubar  was 
only  the  fire-god  of  the  ancient  Accadians  who  became  the 
sun-god  of  the  later  Babylonians  and  the  Hercules  of  the 
Greeks.  The  twelve  tablets  of  the  epic  correspond  with  the 
twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac,  the  path  of  the  sun  in  his  yearly 
flight.  The  second  tablet  tells  of  Gizdhubar's  meeting  with 
a  great  bull-shaped  monster  who  answers  to  Taurus  of  the 
Zodiac.  The  fifth  tablet  records  the  prowess  of  Gizdhubar 
in  slaying  the  lion,  the  counterpart  of  the  sign  of  Leo  in  the 
Zodiac.  The  virgo  of  the  Zodiac  is  paralleled  by  Istar  who 
vainly  pays  court  to  the  hero  in  the  sixth  tablet.  "And 
just  as  Aquarius  is  in  the  eleventh  Zodiacal  sign,  so  the  his- 
tory of  the  deluge  is  embodied  in  the  eleventh  tablet."* 

A  still  more  striking  resemblance  exists  between  the 
Gizdhubar  epic  and  the  Greek  legends  concerning  Hercules. 
This  hero  was  brought  into  Greece  from  Phoenicia  where  he 
had  plaj'-ed  his  part  as  sun-god,  Baal-Melkarth.  His  twelve 
labors  were  the  twelve  legends  concerning  the  Babjdonian 
solar  hero,  Gizdhubar.  The  bull-shaped  monster  Hea-bani 
reappears  in  Cheiron,  the  centaur.  The  lion  victim  of 
Gizdhubar's  strength  is  the  human  lion  slain  by  Hercules; 

*  Sayce's  Assyria,  p.  110. 


THE   BABYLONIAN  LEGEND.  97 


"the  winged  bull  made  by  Anu  is  the  famous  bull  of  Crete; 
the  tyrant  Khum-baba  is  the  tyrant  Geryon;  the  gems 
borne  by  the  trees  of  the  forest  beyond  the  gateway  of  the 
sun  are  the  apples  of  the  Hesperides;  and  the  deadly  sick- 
ness of  Gizdhubar  himself  is  but  the  fever  of  Hercules 
caused  by  the  poisoned  tunic  of  Nessus."  * 

The  only  part  which  Gizdhubar  plays  in  the  story  of  the 
flood,  recorded  on  the  eleventh  tablet  of  the  epic,  is  to 
listen  to  the  recital  thereof  by  the  hero  Xisuthrus.  This 
patriarch  is  saved  from  the  deluge  and  carried  by  the 
gods  to  a  far-off  paradise,  and  thither  Gizdhubar  follows  him 
to  ask  healing  balm  for  his  sickness.  He  entreats  Xisu- 
thrus to  reveal  the  circumstances  that  have  brought  the 
privilege  of  immortality,  and  in  reply  Xisuthrus  relates  the 
story  of  the  flood  from  which  he  has  been  rescued.  The  ar- 
tificial links  that  bind  together  all  the  parts  of  this  epic 
appear  here  in  the  introductory  part  of  the  Babylonian  ac- 
count of  the  deluge.  The  chief  elements  of  the  legend  may 
be  learned  from  a  few  quotations: 

1.  Xisuthrus  to  himself  also  speaks,  even  to  Gizdhubar. 

2.  Let  me  reveal  to  thee  the  story  of  my  preservation. 

3.  And  the  judgment  of  the  gods  let  me  relate  to  thee. 

4.  The  city  Surippak,  the  city  which  thou  knowest  on  the 
Euphrates  is  placed. 

5.  That  city  is  ancient,  and  the  gods  are  within  it. 

6.  To  make  a  deluge  the  great  gods  have  brought  their 
heart; 

7.  Even  he  their  father,  Anu, 

8.  Their  king,  the  warrior,  Bel, 

9.  Their  throne-bearer,  Ninip; 

10.  Their  minister,  the  lord  of  Hades,  Nin-si-kha,  wife  of 
Hea,  with  them  sat,  and 

11.  Their  will  he  (Hea)  repeated;  to  his  minister,  the 
minister  of  the  city  of  Kis,  he  declared  what  he  had  in 
mind. 

12.  His  minister  heard  and  proclaimed  attentively: 

13.  Man  of  Surippak,  son  of  Ubara-tutu, 

14.  Build  a  house,  make  a  ship  to  preserve  the  sleep  of 
plants  and  living  beings; 

15.  Store  the  seed  and  vivify  life; 

*  Smith's  Chald.  Genesis,  p.  177. 


98  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


16.  Cause,  also,  the  seed  of  life  of  every  kind  to  go  up 
into  the  midst  of  the  ship. 

17.  The  ship  which  thou  shalt  make — 

18.  Six  hundred  cubits  shall  be  its  measure  in  length; 

19.  Sixty  cubits  the  amount  of  its  breadth  and  its  height.* 
Those  who  are  to  be  preserved  in  the  ship  are  thus  enu- 
merated: 

Into  the  midst  of  it,  thy  grain,  thy  furniture,  thy  goods; 

Thy  wealth,  thy  woman  slaves,  thy  handmaids,  and  the 
sons  of  the  host; 

The  beasts  of  the  field,  the  wild  animals  of  the  field,  as 
many  as  I  would  protect, 

I  will  send  to  thee,  and  thy  door  shall  guard  them,  f 

Now  came  the  flood  of  waters  at  the  command  of  Sham- 
ash,  the  sun.  "  The  water  of  Twilight  at  the  dawn  of  day 
rose  up  from  the  foundations  of  the  sky  in  a  black   cloud; 

Ramman  thundered  in  the  midst  of  this  cloud 

The  archangels  of  the  abyss  brought  destruction;  in  their 
terrors,  they  shook  the  earth.  The  inundation  of  Ramman 
swelled  up  to  heaven,  and  the  earth,  having  lost  its  bright- 
ness, was  changed  into  a  desert."  X 

Death  came  upon  the  living  creatures  of  the  earth,  and 
"in  heaven  the  gods  became  afraid  of  the  waterspout  and 
sought  a  refuge;  they  ascended  even  to  the  heaven  of  Anu. 
The  gods  were   stretched  motionless,  pressed  close   against 

each  other,  like  dogs The  gods  on  their  chairs 

were  seated  in  tears,  and  they  kept  their  lips  closed."  § 

Seven  days  the  storm  continued.  Xisuthrus  looked  forth 
upon  the  corpses  of  men  that  "floated  like  seaweed,"  and  at 
the  sight  he  "  sat  down  and  wept."  Thus  for  seven  days 
the  ship  rested  on  "  the  mountain  of  Nizir,"  and  at  the  end 
of  that  time  Xisuthrus  sent  forth  a  dove,  a  swallow  and  a 
raven.  The  two  former  returned  to  the  ship,  but  the  raven 
remained  without,  and  then  came  forth  all  the  dwellers 
within  the  ship.  Then  did  Xisuthrus  offer  a  sacrifice  to 
placate  the  angry  Bel,  who  had  sent  the  flood.  Xisuthrus 
and  his  wife  were  then  led  far  away  and  their  dwelling  fixed 
"  in  a  distant  place  at  the  mouth  of  the  rivers,"  where  they 
were  to  "live  like  gods."|| 

*  Smith's  Chald.  Genesis,  pp.  279-89.    +Smitii's  Chald.  Genesis,  p.  281.    i  Lenormant, 
p.  396.    g  Lenormant,  pp.  396-7.     !|  Lenormant,  pp.  398-403. 


THE  GREEK  LEGEND.  99 


In  this  cuneiform  record  we  have  folk-lore  in  its  unadul- 
terated form.  The  sky-gods  enter  into  conspiracy,  with  the 
sun  as  leader  in  the  plot,  and  pour  down  rain  for  seven  days. 
The  gods  are  frightened  at  their  deeds  and  hide  their  faces 
behind  the  storm-clouds.  Xisuthrus  is  a  king  with  many 
servants  and  cattle,  and  these  are  saved  in  a  large  ship. 

The  Greek  Legend. 

Lay  this  cuneiform  account  of  the  deluge  alongside  the 
Thessalian  legend  of  Deucalion.  The  Greek  imagination 
in  this  bit  of  local  fiction  set  forth  the  god  Zeus  as  the  au- 
thor of  a  flood  that  swept  away  all  the  people  of  the  bronze 
age  except  Deucalion  and  his  wife  Pyrrha.  The  crimes  of 
the  race  had  stirred  up  the  anger  of  Zeus.  But  Prometheus 
forewarned  Deucalion  and  the  latter  built  a  floating  chest 
and  took  refuge  therein  with  his  wife.  The  waters  upon  the 
earth  increased  to  a  great  flood,  and  for  nine  days  and  nights 
did  they  toss  the  chest  about  on  their  waves.  Then  was  it 
left  on  the  summit  of  Parnassus,  and  Deucalion  and  Pyrrha 
came  forth  to  offer  sacrifice  unto  Zeus  and  to  fill  the  earth 
again  with  people  by  flinging  stones  behind  them,  which 
the  god  forthwith  changed  to  men.  Other  traditions  be- 
sides had  the  Greeks  concerning  a  deluge,  but  in  general 
form  and  outline  each  story  resembles  all  the  rest.  All  the 
Aryan  nations,  in  fact,  have  incorporated  in  their  primitive 
lore  one  or  more  versions  of  a  national  deluge.  Concern- 
ing these  legends,  Lenormant  follows  Knobel  in  asserting 
that  "the  ancient  tradition  of  the  cataclysm  by  which  all 
mankind  were  destroyed  and  which  was  common  to  all  the 

Aryan  nations,  is  confused with  the  more  or 

less  distinct  recollections  of  local  catastrophes  occasioned 
by  extraordinary  overflowings  of  the  banks  of  lakes  or  riv- 
ers by  the  rupture  of  the  natural  embankments  of  certain 
lakes,  by  the  depression  of  portions  of  the  sea-coast,  by  tidal 
waves  following  upon  earthquakes  or  upon  partial  upheav- 
als of  the  ocean  bed."*  Without  entering  into  details,  we 
may  further  quote  this  distinguished  scholar  to  the  effect 
that  "the  account  of  the  deluge  is  an  universal  tradition  " 
in  "the  three  great  civilized  races  of  the  ancient  world," 
viz.,  the  Semites,  the  Aryans  and  the  Cushites,  and  that  this 

*Lenormant'3  The  Beginnings  of  History,  p.  436. 


100  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


deluge  occurred  "  before  the  ancestors  of  these  three  races 

were  as  yet  separated,  and in  that  Asiatic 

country  which  they  inhabited  conjointly."*  If  these  asser- 
tions be  correct,  this  universal  tradition  is  strong  collateral 
evidence  to  the  truth  of  the  story  of  the  flood  in  the  Book 
of  Genesis.  But  there  is  no  testimony  in  this  similarity  of 
national  traditions  to  show  that  the  Babylonian  legend  w^as 
used  by  the  author  of  Genesis.  On  the  contrary,  Lenor- 
mant's  investigations  have  served  to  demonstrate  this  fact: 
that  the  Babylonian  account  of  the  deluge  belongs  exclu- 
sively to  the  category  of  heathen  folk-lore.  Even  if  it  does 
concern  the  deluge  of  Noah's  time,  the  form  which  it  has 
finally  taken  in  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  is  due  to  Baby- 
lonian imagination.  Local  events  have  been  given  a  place 
in  the  story,  and  the  heathen  creed  of  this  sun-worshiping 
people  has  been  glorified  in  this  particular  canto  as  in  all 
the  remaining  parts  of  the  great  epic.  Folk-lore  it  is,  with 
the  usual  foundation  of  superstition  and  all  the  details  of  a 
debased  heathen  mythology. 

The  Story  of  the  Flood  in  Genesis — Genesis  6-9. 

Let  us  preface  our  examination  of  the  biblical  account  of 
Noah  and  the  flood  by  repeating  an  argument  already  made 
by  Bickell,  a  German,  and  b}^  the  Abbe  A'^igouroux,  a  French 
scholar.  They  insisted  f  that  the  repetitions  occurring  in 
the  story  of  the  flood  in  Genesis  are  found  also  in  the  cunei- 
form account,  and  hence  they  asserted  that  these  repetitions 
in  Genesis  do  not  indicate  two  different  sources  for  the  bib- 
lical narrative.  If  this  Babylonian  inscription  be  received 
as  a  consecutive  history  of  the  flood,  yet  containing  repeti- 
tions, then  the  presence  of  repetitions  in  the  story  in  Gene- 
sis cannot  prove  thc.t  it  is  non-consecutive.  Such  was  the 
position  taken  by  these  writers.  Now,  Lenormant  denies 
the  fact  of  the  repetitions  in  the  cuneiform  account,  but  as- 
serts a  repetition  in  Genesis.  He  affirms  that  the  supposi- 
tion of  the  above-named  scholars  was  based  upon  imperfect 
translations  by  George  Smith  in  his  Chaldean  Genesis. 
"  None  of  the  repetitions  of  the  final  text  of  Genesis  can  be 
found  in  the   Chaldean   poem."  J     In  this  manner  has  Le- 

*  Lenormant,  pp.  486-88.      iVigouroux:    La   Bible  et  les    d(5couvertes   modernes. 
Bickell:  Zeitscrift  fiir  Katholische  Theologie,  1877.     t  Lenormant,  pp. 404-5. 


STORY  OF  THE  FLOOD  IN  GENESIS-GENESIS  6-9.      101 


normant  met  the  argument.  In  opposition  to  him  stands 
Dr.  Sayce  in  his  revised  edition  of  Smith's  Chaldean  Gene- 
sis, whom  we  find  declaring  in  regard  to  the  Babylonian 
story:  "The  compiler  of  the  epic  seems  to  have  used  for 
this  purpose  two  independent  poems  relating  to  the  event; 
at  least  it  is  otherwise  difficult  to  account  for  the  repetitions 
observable  in  certain  lines ^  These  repetitions  are  specified 
thus:  "According  to  1:  13,  the  deluge  was  caused  by  ''all 
the  great  gods";  according  to  2:  30,  by  Samas  only;  accord- 
ing to  4:4,  5,  by  Bel."  *  This  takes  away  the  ground  from 
beneath  Lenormant's  feet,  for  he  quotes  the  above  lines  as 
his  reason  for  dividing  the  biblical  narrative  into  two  docu- 
ments, because  he  there  finds  Elohim  and  Jehovah  both 
named  as  the  active  agents  in  bringing  on  the  deluge! 

Dr.  Sayce  would  break  the  force  of  the  argument  of  Bick- 
ell  and  Vigouroux  by  saying  that  both  the  epic  and  the 
biblical  account  are  compilations — that  neither  is  an  origi- 
nal, consecutive  narrative.  But  we  notice  that  this  is  en- 
tirely a  conjecture  on  the  part  of  Dr.  Sayce.  He  furnishes 
little  evidence,  or  none,  to  show  that  the  epic  itself  is  a 
compilation,  and  we  begin  to  suspect  that  his  assertions  con- 
cerning different  sources  for  Genesis  rest  upon  the  same 
foundation  of  conjecture.  It  seems  more  probable  that  the 
repetitions  in  the  epic  are  nothing  more  than  the  confusion 
of  ideas  that  marks  all  heathen  mythology. 

When  our  eye  falls  upon  the  narrative  concerning  the 
flood,  at  its  beginning  in  Genesis  vi.,  1,  we  recognize  the 
continuance  of  the  same  divine  record  already  examined  up 
to  this  point.  The  outline  of  the  generations  of  the  two 
diverging  classes  of  men  is  naturally  followed  by  a  narra- 
tive based  upon  that  period  of  time  "  when  men  began  to 
multiply  on  the  face  of  the  earth  and  daughters  were  born 
unto  them."t  Then  catching  up  the  spirit  of  the  preceding 
history,  a  climax  in  the  moral  condition  of  the  race  is  set 
forth  by  the  biblical  record  when  it  declares  that  "  the  sons 
of  God  saw  the  daughters  of  men,  that  they  were  fair  ;  and 
they  took  wives  of  all  which  they  chose."  J  Those  who  are 
here  termed  "  the  sons  of  God  "  were  evidently  the  descend- 
ants of  Seth,  that  line  of  Adam's  sons  who  "  called  upon 
the  name  of  the  Lord."     The  children  of  God  were  they — 

•Smith's  Chald.  Genesis,  p.  301.       +  Gen.  6:1.       X  Gen.  6 :  2. 


102  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


a  little  church  in  the  midst  of  the  worldliness  and  wicked- 
ness of  the  sons  of  Cain.  And  now  had  the  power  of  evil 
become  so  great  that  it  found  a  welcome  even  in  the  midst 
of  the  hitherto  faithful  Sethites.  Some  of  them  contracted 
marriages  with  the  daughters  of  the  heathen  families  about 
them.  The  salt  lost  its  savor.  The  little  church  itself  be- 
came corrupt,  and  only  Noah  and  his  family  were  at  last 
left  as  the  true  "  sons  of  God,"  the  real  heirs  of  the  faith  of 
Seth.  All  but  these  were  totally  corrupt.  Enemies  to  the 
mercies  of  Jehovah  and  ready  to  contend  against  the  work- 
ings of  His  Spirit  were  these  multiplied  generations.  Where- 
fore "  Jehovah  said,  My  Spirit  shall  not  always  strive  with 
man,  for  that  he  also  is  flesh."*  But  when  the  Spirit  of  the 
living  God  withdrew  from  dwelling  with  men,  because  of 
continued  repulses,  then  great  was  the  wickedness  of  man 
as  it  stood  revealed  to  heaven  and  to  earth.  "And  the  Lord 
saw  that  the  wickedness  of  man  was  great  in  the  earth,  and 
that  every  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only 
evil  continually.  And  it  repented  the  Lord  that  he  had 
made  man  on  the  earth,  and  it  grieved  Him  at  His  heart. 
And  the  Lord  said,  I  will  destroy  man  whom  I  have  created 
from  the  face  of  the  ground  ;  both  man  and  beast  and 
creeping  thing  and  fowl  of  the  air  ;  for  it  repenteth  me  that 
I  have  made  them.  But  Noah  found  grace  in  the  eyes  of 
the  Lord."  f  In  these  statements  we  find  something  en- 
tirely foreign  to  the  spirit  of  the  cuneiform  narrative.  Here 
we  have  a  distinct  revelation  of  the  secrets  that  belong  to 
Jehovah.  Before  the  story  of  the  flood  is  set  forth,  the 
moral  cause  thereof  is  plainly  declared.  Through  many 
generations  that  cause  has  been  growing  up  into  strength 
in  the  human  heart.  The  seed  of  evil  that  found  a  place 
in  the  heart  of  Adam  and  in  the  heart  of  Cain  has  grown 
up  into  a  tree  that  has  driven  all  goodness  from  the  souls  of 
these  later  generations.  Even  the  Spirit  of  God  has  been 
repulsed  and  the  Lord  himself  set  at  defiance  by  the  race 
of  giants  whose  hearts  are  fixed  in  the  love  for  things  of  the 
flesh.  The  only  hope  of  saving  the  earth  as  the  abode  of 
righteous  men  is  to  destroy  this  rampant  corruption.  The 
iniquity  of  men  cries  to  heaven  until  Jehovah  declares  that 
He  must  vindicate  His  righteousness  and  His  holiness.    He 

*  Gen.  6:3.       +  Genesis  6 :  5-8. 


STORY  OF  THE  FLOOD  IN  GENESIS— GENESIS  6-9.      103 


is  still  the  same  Jehovah  of  many  mercies  and  continued 
revelations,  who  is  ready  to  drive  iniquity  from  His  pres- 
ence, as  He  sent  forth  Adam  from  the  Garden  of  Eden.  He 
is  still  ready  to  look  with  favor  upon  some,  even  as  He  re- 
ceived Abel  and  his  offering. 

The  man  who  "  found  grace  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  " 
must  be  clearly  described.  "  Noah  was  a  righteous  man 
and  perfect  in  his  generations,  and  Noah  walked  with  God."* 
The  moral  cause  for  judgment  was  not  found  in  Noah's 
heart,  and  hence  Noah  received  the  message  of  divine  mercy. 
Along  with  him  his  household  received  the  same  favor 
from  Jehovah.  Because  that  "  all  flesh  had  corrupted  his 
way  upon  the  earth,"  and  the  earth  was  "  filled  with  violence 
through  them,"  the  Lord  determined  to  "  destroy  them  with 
the  earth."  This  purpose  was  revealed  to  Noah,  and  the 
command  was  given  this  servant  of  righteousness  to  make 
"an  ark  of  gopher  wood."t  , 

Two  points  of  difference  have  thus  far  appeared  between 
this  biblical  narrative  and  the  cuneiform  account  of  the 
flood.  The  first  is,  that  we  have  revealed  here  in  Genesis 
the  moral  cause  of  the  divine  judgment,  viz.,  the  vindication 
of  God's  holiness  against  the  insolence  of  human  iniquity, 
a  characteristic  which  places  this  part  of  the  divine  narra- 
tive in  consecutive  connection  with  the  early  chapters  of 
Genesis.  Then,  again,  we  find  the  biblical  narrative  deal- 
ing with  a  history  of  divine  warning  and  exhortation  that 
covers  a  period  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  j^ears.  At  the 
beginning  of  this  term  of  years,  Jehovah  announces  His 
purpose  to  destroy  corrupt  humanity,  and  at  the  same  time 
makes  known  the  way  of  escape  to  Noah.  A  part  of  this 
long  period  is  spent  by  Noah  in  the  construction  of  the  ves- 
sel. Steadily  before  the  eyes  of  the  iniquitous  race  is  the 
divine  purpose  kept  in  view  by  the  work  and  teachings  of 
Noah.  Jehovah's  mercy  cries  out  to  them  from  every  piece 
of  timber  added  to  the  ark.  The  entire  transaction  is 
wrought  out  upon  a  scale  entirely  beyond  the  conception  of 
merely  human  imagination.  Not  the  sudden,  capricious 
anger  ascribed  to  the  heathen  gods,  but  the  slowly  wrought 
vindication  of  the  holiness  of  Jehovah  is  narrated  in  the 
Book   of   Genesis.     A   merciful  governor    of    the   universe 

•Gen.  6:  V.       i-Gen.  6:  9-14. 


104  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


sends  a  flood  as  a  step  in  the  divine  administration.  The 
destin}^  of  a  world  is  in  the  balance.  How  very  different  is 
the  cause  assigned  for  the  flood  in  the  cuneiform  story.  The 
caprice  of  the  elements,  the  sky  and  the  sun!  In  only  one 
place  is  there  an  intimation  of  a  moral  cause.  In 'lines  iv., 
15,  16  occur  these  words: 

"The  doer  of  sin  bore  his  sin,  the  blasphemer  bore  his  blasphemy, 
Never  may  the  just  prince  be  cut  off,  never  may  the  faithful  be  de- 
stroyed." * 

But  this  is  a  remonstrance  addressed  by  one  of  the  gods, 
Hea,  to  the  sun-god,  Bel,  after  the  deluge.  The  narra- 
tive describes  Bel  as  still  enraged  and  unwilling  to  permit 
Xisuthrus  to  come  forth  from  his  ship.  The  fate  of  his 
victims  is  held  up  as  a  reason  why  he  should  be  appeased 
and  cease  his  capricious  enmity — 

"As  thou  didst  not  consider,  a  deluge  thou  madest."  t 

cries  Hea  to  the  sun.  Then,  after  the  protests  of  Hea  are 
uttered, 

""Again  also  Bel  considers,  he  approaches  the  midst  of  the  ship," 

and  delivers  Xisuthrus.  The  wild  rage  of  the  sun-god  is 
quieted  and  the  hero  of  the  deluge  escapes  his  further  fury. 
Thus  does  it  appear,  that  the  connection  in  which  the  terms 
"sin"  and  "blasphemy"  occur  rather  precludes  the  idea  that 
they  are  stated  to  be  the  moral  cause  of  the  deluge.  They 
are  stated  in  that  part  of  the  narrative  concerned  with  ap- 
peasing the  inconsiderate  wrath  of  the  god  who  sent  the 
flood.  The  ideas  here  are  not  in  the  high  moral  plane  with 
.  those  in  the  Genesis  history  of  the  deluge  where  Jehovah's 
divine  character  of  goodness  and  of  justice  is  established  in 
the  presence  of  the  whole  world;  for  we  must  follow  the 
story  beyond  the  catastrophe  that  befell  the  earth  in  order 
to  learn  Jehovah's  final  purpose.  "With  thee  will  I  estab- 
lish my  covenant,"  said  the  Lord  unto  Noah.  With  Noah 
in  this  covenant  were  numbered  his  wife  and  his  children 
and  also  a  representative  pair  "of  every  living  thing  of  all 
flesh."  t  The  ultimate  design  of  God  in  sending  the  flood 
is  here  declared,  viz.,  the  establishment  of  a  covenan^rela- 
tionship  between  Himself  and  His  creatures. 

♦Smith's  Chal.  Gen.,  p.  288.     +Smith'9  Ch.  Gen.  p.  288.      J  Gen.  6  :  18, 19. 


THE  COVENANT  WITH  NOAH.  105 


The  Covenant  with  Noah. 

Let  us  pause  here  to  impress  upon  our  memory  the  plan 
of  this  sacred  narrative  in  the  Book  of  Genesis.  It  bears 
the  stamp  of  a  divine  origin.  We  have  seen  how  the  story 
begins  with  the  revelation  of  the  wia^e-relationship  between 
God  and  man.  In  direct  continuation,  the  record  deals 
with  the  story  of  our  race  under  the  aspect  of  the  subse- 
quent o6e(i^ence-relationship.  Now  are  we  led  through  the 
history  of  a  great  judgment,  long  delayed  and  often  spoken 
of,  to  the  climax  of  God's  early  training  of  His  creatures,  to 
the  coveria??^relationship.  Here  the  Lord  lifts  the  human 
race  up  to  the  plane  of  free,  rational,  self-controlling  action. 
He  treats  Noah  as  a  being  worthy  to  enter  into  contract  with 
Himself.  He  accepts  Noah's  oath  as  binding  the  whole 
category  of  living  things.  He  has  wonderfully  exalted  the 
human  race  and  out  of  the  midst  of  the  destruction  of 
iniquity  has  He  brought  men  into  closer  fellowship  with 
Himself. 

In  perfect  obedience  to  the  command  of  Jehovah  did 
Noah  move  in  and  out,  until  the  great  transaction  was  com- 
pleted. Minute  directions  for  the  construction  of  the  ark — 
explicit  orders  how  to  people  it  with  human  kind,  and 
''every  creeping  thing  of  the  earth  after  his  kind" — these 
came  directly  from  the  mouth  of  Jehovah  unto  Noah.  After 
all  this,  ''  the  Lord  shut  him  in."  *  It  was  a  divine  work. 
The  salvation  of  these  representatives  of  the  living  crea- 
tures upon  the  earth  was  worthy  of  the  care  and  close  watch- 
fulness of  God  Himself.  Then  came  the  working  of  His 
might  in  the  terrors  of  judgment.  The  waters  below  seemed 
to  leap  up  to  meet  the  great  flood  that  poured  down  upon 
the  earth.  "  The  same  day  were  all  the  fountains  of  the 
great  deep  broken  up,  and  the  windows  of  heaven  were 
opened,  and  the  rain  was  upon  the  earth  forty  days  and  forty 
nights."  t 

Over  all  the  inhabited  earth  did  the  waters  establish 
themselves,  until  the  mountains  were  covered  and  "  every 
living  substance  was  destroyed  which  was  upon  the  face  of 
the  ground,  both  man  and  cattle,  and  the  creeping  things 
and  the  fowl  of  the  heaven;  and  they  were  destroyed  from 

*Gen.7:16.       +Gen.7:  n,12. 


106  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


the  earth ;  and  Noah  only  remained  alive  and  they  that  were 
with  him  in  the  ark."  * 

Not  for  seven  days  did  the  flood  continue,  as  the  cunei- 
form record  states,  but  during  ten  days  and  one  year  was  Noah 
shut  up  within  the  ark.  Then  the  word  of  Jehovah  called 
forth  the  creatures,  man  and  beast,  and  as  the  smoke  of 
Noah's  sacrifice  ascended  unto  Him  the  great  covenant  was 
consummated.  As  a  new  creation  did  these  ark-dwellers 
now  go  forth  to  possess  the  earth.  God's  blessing  rested 
upon  them.  God's  covenant-promise  was  whispered  in 
their  ears,  and  betokened  by  the  bow  in  the  cloud  that 
destruction  by  flood  should  never  again  visit  the  whole  earth. 
In  subordination  to  man  was  placed  the  animal  creation. 
"Every  moving  thing  that  liveth  shall  be  meat  for  you." 
So  ran  the  divine  decree  with  reference  to  the  new  exaltation 
given  to  the  animal  who  possesses  the  faculty  of  reason. 
Side  by  side  with  this  enactment  was  set  another  that  de- 
clared the  sacredness  of  human  life  and  the  sacredness  of 
animal  life.  Wanton  destruction  must  not  be  visited  upon 
either  member  of  that  vast  body  of  creature  life  with  whom 
He  entered  into  solemn  covenant.  "And  God  spake  unto 
Noah,  and  to  his  sons  with  him,  saying,  'And  I,  behold,  I 
establish  my  covenant  w^ith  you  and  with  your  seed  after 
you,  and  with  every  living  creature  that  is  with  you.' "  f 

The  Destiny  of  the  Families  of  Men. 

The  relationship  between  God  and  His  creatures  was 
fixed  upon  the  lofty  plane  of  moral  government.  In  telling 
the  story  of  the  consummation  of  this  covenant-relationship, 
the  sacred  narrative  goes  farther  to  point  out  the  destiny  of 
the  races  that  sprang  from  Noah.  Under  the  freedom  of 
choice  left  to  men  by  the  terms  of  this  covenant,  God 
foretold  through  Noah  that  Japheth  should  come  into  pos- 
session of  the  largest  portion  of  the  earth  as  his  inheritance; 
that  the  offspring  of  Shem  should  be  Jehovah's  own  peculiar 
people;  that  Canaan,  representing  the  sons  of  Ham,  should 
be  brought  down  to  a  condition  of  servitude.;]:  The  move- 
ments and  characteristics  of  generations  yet  unborn  were 
prophesied  in  this  narrative.  Divine  wisdom  gave  the  seal 
of  foreknowledge   to  this  record  of  the  deluge,  which  bears 

*  Gen.  7:23.        +Gen.  9:9. 10.        t  Gen.  9:  25-27. 


THE  DESTINY  OF  THE  FAMILIES  OF  MEN.  107 


throughout  the  marks  of  divine  revelation.  Conscious  of 
heavenly  foresight  is  the  Genesis  narrative  of  the  flood  from 
beginning  to  ending.  The  coming  of  a  flood  of  waters  after 
a  period  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  years — the  career 
of  the  races  of  men  until  the  end  of  time — these  are  seen 
with  equal  clearness  by  the  author  of  this  sacred  history. 
When  were  the  cuneiform  records  ever  conscious  of  the  fu- 
ture ! 


108  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
One  God  and  One  Race  of  Men. 

[Genesis  10-11.] 
Heathen  Views  of  the  Origin  of  Man. 

'HEN  we  knock  at  the  door  of  the  ancient  heathen  ora- 


W^ 


cles  to  inquire  after  the  character  of  the  divine  being 
and  the  origin  of  human  creatures,  we  are  answered  by  a 
chorus  of  traditions  that  point  to  the  heavenly  luminaries 
as  gods  and  tell  us  to  ask  the  earth  or  the  sea  or  the  sky 
concerning  the  birth  of  man.  The  people  of  the  Nile  coun- 
try affirmed  that  men  are  emanations  from  the  eye  of  the 
sun-god  Ra,  and  the  dwellers  along  the  Euphrates  and  Lower 
Tigris  had  to  suppose  a  convocation  of  many  gods  and  the 
decapitation  of  one  god  in  solving  the  problem  of  the  be- 
ginning of  animate  life  upon  the  earth. 

These  myths  or  legends  we  have  chosen  to  classify  as  part 
of  the  folk-lore  of  the  Egyptians  and  Babylonians.  The 
term  folk-lore,  as  here  used,  represents  the  mass  of  racial 
traditions.  Whatever  view  be  taken  concerning  the  origin 
of  folk-lore — whether  that  of  Miiller,  that  it  has  sprung  from 
the  variation  in  the  meaning  of  words,  or  that  of  Andrew 
Lang,  that  it  is  the  survival  of  beliefs  current  among  the 
people  of  a  race  during  a  primitive,  savage  condition* — the 
general  consensus  of  scientists  as  to  the  essential  character 
of  these  tribal  legends  seems  to  be  in  accord  with  St.  Paul's 
view,  that  men  "  became  vain  in  their  imaginations  and 
their  foolish  heart  was  darkened.  .  .  .  Wherefore  God 
also  gave  them  up  to  uncleanness  through  the  lusts  of  their 
own  hearts."  f 

"  The  emptiness  of  human  imagination  "  is  the  legend 
written  on  the  fabric  of  these  heathen  creeds.  Indefinite 
dreams  woven  out  of  dense  ignorance  make  up  the  genealogy 
of  gods  and  of  men. 

t  Lang's  Myth,  Ritual  and  Religion.       t  Romans  1 :  21-24. 


THE  DISPERSION  FROM  BABEL.  109 


The  Dispersion  from  Babel. 

In  clear  contrast  with  the  teaching  of  these  heathen  myths 
we  have  the  revelations  made  in  the  book  of  Genesis.  The 
same  eternal  God,  who  has  preserved  the  race  of  men  intact 
from  Adam  to  Noah,  is  declared  to  be  the  one  Lord  of  all  the 
earth.  His  blessing  goes  out  into  all  the  districts  of  the 
earth  then  known  and  inhabited,  along  with  the  sons  of  the 
man  preserved  from  the  deluge.  As  colonies  scatter  abroad 
from  the  original  seat  of  human  life,  the  same  Lord  super- 
intends the  migrations  and  keeps  the  families  and  the  tribes 
together.  Once  or  twice  in  the  narrative  we  see  the  name 
of  an  individual  standing  forth  into  prominence  at  the  sepa- 
rating point  between  families  of  the  same  tribe  or  clan. 
"Nimrod,  the  mighty  hunter,"  appears  here  as  one  of  God's 
creatures — the  son  of  Gush,  who  was  the  son  of  Ham. 
Now,  some  scholars  have  supposed  that  Nimrod  is  to  be 
identified  with  the  Babylonian  god  Belus,  or  Bel.*  The 
heathen  imagination  seized  upon  the  prowess  of  this  empire- 
founder  and  transferred  his  personal  attributes  to  the  sun- 
god,  and  thus  transformed  the  chief  luminary  of  day  into  a 
hero  king!  This  may  be  so.  But  the  Scripture  record 
holds  the  great  race  heroes,  like  Nimrod  and  Asshur  and 
Abram,  down  to  the  plane  of  ordinary  humanity — all  mere 
stems  from  the  great  parent  stock  created  by  the  eternal  God 
Himself.  High  above  all  the  migrations  of  men  and  the 
variations  that  come  into  their  forms  of  government  and 
forms  of  speech,  towers  the  Jehovah  of  the  past,  the  present 
and  the  future,  "  the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and  forever." 

Unity  of  the  Race. 

Further  than  this,  the  sacred  narrative  speaks  clearly 
concerning  the  origin  of  man.  The  tenth  chapter  of  Gene- 
sis is  an  authoritative  declaration  concerning  the  unit}^  of 
the  human  race.  The  various  tribes  and  families  then  scat- 
tered upon  the  face  of  the  earth  are  traced  back  through 
Noah  to  the  first  pair  of  human  beings  placed  in  Eden  by  the 
Lord  God.  Modern  physiological  science  now  rises  up  to 
say  that  the  author  of  this  table  of  the  nations  spoke  the 
truth  in  affirming  the  original  unity  of  the  human  species. 
"  The  isles  of  the  Gentiles  "  are  only  peopled  by  the  various 

*  Speaker's  Commentary  on  Genesis,  ch.  10. 


110  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


"tongues  and  families  and  nations"  that  have  sprung  in  the 
third  generation  from  the  loins  of  Japheth  the  son  of  Noah. 
Likewise  are  other  "lands  "  passed  in  review  as  the  abode  of 
the  "  tongues  and  families  and  nations  "  that  have  descended 
from  Ham  and  from  Shem.  The  seventy  families  are  pointed 
out  as  representatives  of  the  people  of  the  whole  earth,  and  all 
these  are  the  descendants  of  Noah.  Unity  of  stock  is  the  les- 
son that  these  seventy  branches  speak. 

Unity  of  Human  Speech. 

Again,  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Genesis  asserts  the  original 
unity  of  human  speech.  Modern  philology,  from  merely  scien- 
tific grounds,  has  now  reached  the  conclusion  set  forth  in  the 
sacred  record,  that  all  the  varieties  of  human  language  have 
sprung  from  one  original  form  of  speech.*  "And  the  Lord 
came  down  to  see  the  city  and  the  tower  which  the  children 
of  men  builded.  And  the  Lord  said,  Behold,  the  'people  is  one, 
and  they  have  all  one  language.  .  .  .  Go  to,  let  us  go  down 
and  there  confound  their  language,  that  they  may  not  under- 
stand one  another's  speech.  So  the  Lord  scattered  them 
abroad  from  thence  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth."  f 

Thus  does  the  early  part  of  the  Scripture  narrative  draw  to 
a  close.  The  branches  of  the  family  of  Shem  are  catalogued 
at  the  end  of  this  eleventh  chapter,  and  we  see  the  name  of 
Abram  appear,  surrounded  by  all  his  kindred.  But  beyond 
these  circumstances,  the  truth  of  great  importance  is  made 
luminous,  that  the  chosen  instrument  of  revelation,  Abram, 
"the  mighty  father,"  is  of  the  same  blood  and  the  same 
original  speech  with  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth.  The 
diversity  that  stamps  the  families  of  men  is  the  work  of  the 
same  God  who  created  them  and  the  man  now  chosen  to  re- 
ceive special  blessings  is  the  brother  of  all  the  rest  of  man- 
kind. The  "  confusion"  of  speech  has  been  sent  upon  men 
to  check  the  working  of  their  own  evil  schemes.  The 
variety  of  soil  and  climate  has  been  assigned  them  in  order 
that  Caucasian  frosts  and  Arabian  sands  and  Nile  inunda- 
tions may  bring  out  the  peculiar  strength  and  individuality 
of  each  tribe  and  teach  unto  all  their  common  dependence 
upon  the  great  Creator  and  moral  Governor  of  the  universe. 

*  Cabell's  Unity  of  Mankind.       +  Gen.  U :  &-«. 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  EARLY  GENESIS  NARRATIVE.         HI 


Origin  of  the  Early  Genesis  Narrative. 

Certain  conclusions  concerning  the  origin  of  the  narra- 
tive in  the  first  eleven  chapters  of  Genesis  may  now  be  set 
forth. 

(1)  Most  assuredly  this  story  of  the  antediluvian  race  is 
not  an  old  Semitic  epic  stripped  of  its  pagan  deformities 
by  later  Hebrew  saints  and  prophets.  *  The  distinct  marks 
of  revelation  are  stamped  upon  the  history  in  Genesis. 
This  history  forms  the  authentic  beginning,  acknowledged 
by  the  Hebrew  prophets  and  Christian  apostles,  of  the  long 
series  of  self-manifestations  of  God  that  fill  up  the  sacred 
scriptures.  In  its  essential  teachings  there  is  no  connection 
with  the  series  of  Babylonian  myths. 

(2)  The  narrative  is  not  a  compilation  from  different 
documents.  The  claim  that  there  are  two  creation  stories, 
two  stories  of  the  descendants  of  Adam,  two  stories  of  the 
deluge  and  two  stories  of  the  dispersion  of  the  race  from 
Babel, t  is  based  upon  alleged  variations  in  language  and 
style.  In  so  far  as  these  variations  exist,  they  are  the 
natural  variety  in  the  usages  of  human  speech  in  dealing 
with  a  variety  of  subjects.  Dr.  Driver  admits  that  variation 
in  subject-matter  does  result  in  variation  in  language.  I 
Against  the  general  claim,  however,  we  urge  the  positive  evi- 
dence for  the  essential  unity  of  the  entire  history.  So  compre- 
hensive in  outline,  so  clear  in  important  details,  this  brief 
history  of  a  long  period  of  time  excels  in  compactness  and 
unity  any  merely  human  narrative  of  similar  length  ever 
written. 

(3)  This  early  narrative  as  it  came  down  to  the  Hebrews  of 
the  time  of  Abraham  and  Moses  was  most  probably  a  divinely 
corrected  tradition.  God  Himself  appeared  from  time  to 
time  to  impart  new  messages  and  to  give  correct  views  of 
those  preceding.  He  told  Adam  the  story  of  creation  (Gen. 
1:  28,  29;  2:  15).  He  appeared  unto  Noah  and  repeated 
to  him  the  same  story  (Gen.  6:  7),  even  as  He  told  Noah's 
father,  Lamech,  about  Adam's  expulsion  from  Eden  and  the 
curse  upon  the  ground  (Gen.  5:  29).  To  Noah  likewise  He 
probably  told  the  story  of  the  offerings  of  Cain  and  Abel 
( Gen.  8 :  20,  21,  and  9 :  5),  and  of  the  establishment  of  the  Sab- 

*Ryle:  Early  Narratives  of  Genesis,  p.  13.    f  Biblical  World,  Jan.,  '94.    |  Int.  to  O.  T. 
Literature,  p.  110. 


112  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


bath  as  the  sign  of  a  covenant  between  himself  and  Adam 
(Gen.  9:  6,  9,  15).  The  story  of  creation  and  of  the  cove- 
nant with  Noah  was  very  probably  recited  to  Abraham  by 
Jehovah  (Gen.  12:  7;  14:  22;  15:  5,  18;  17:  10).  Although 
Abraham  knew  all  this  past  history  from  tradition,  just  as 
Melchizedek  knew  it  (Gen.  14:  18,  20),  Jacob  heard  a  divine 
message  rectifying  his  knowledge  of  the  past  (Gen.  28:  13, 
14).  As  the  necessary  preparation  for  his  mission,  Moses 
was  minutely  instructed  in  the  past  history  of  God's  revela- 
tions and  his  view  of  the  traditions  of  his  race  thoroughly 
rectified  (Exodus  4  and  6)  by  Jehovah  Himself. 

This  view  of  a  corrected  tradition  thus  seems  amply  sus- 
tained by  the  facts  of  the  scriptural  narrative.  It  is  not  at 
all  the  Romish  view  of  an  infallible  tradition  in  the  church. 
Nay,  for  in  the  case  of  the  Genesis  narrative,  the  repeated 
revelations  from  God  were  made  in  completeness  at  each 
time,  including  those  already  given  from  the  very  begin- 
ning. 

It  would  follow  from  this  that  the  Babylonian  myths  are 
uncorrected  traditions.  They  are  departures  from  the  origi- 
nal revelations  delivered  before  the  flood.  Until  that  time, 
all  men  alike  knew  the  story  of  the  past.  All  of  Noah's 
sons  knew  it.  But  from  that  time  divergence  arose.  The 
old  tradition  was  corrected  only  in  the  line  of  Abraham. 
The  other  tribes  of  men  "changed  the  truth  of  God  into  a 
lie."*  Here  and  there  an  individual  like  Melchizedek  held 
on  for  the  space  of  a  few  generations  to  the  essential  facts 
of  revelation,  but  afterwards  all  those  beyond  the  pale  of 
Abraham's  house  were  "  given  over  to  a  mind  void  of  judg- 
ment." t 

(4)  This  period  of  deterioration  is  marked  in  the  cunei- 
form records.  These  heathen  myths  required  time  for 
downward  development.  Therefore,  the  Babylonian  stories 
are  conclusive  evidence  that  the  revelations  of  these  eleven 
chapters  of  Genesis  were  made  at  a  very  early  period ;  in 
short,  they  argue  the  clearest  revelations  to  Adam  and  to 
Noah. 

(5)  But  the  corrected  tradition  forming  the  substance  of 
this  narrative  was  probably  not  written  down  until  the 
period  of  the  Hebrew  Exodus  from  Egypt.     When  Jehovah, 

*  Romans  1 :  25.       +  Romans  1 :  28. 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  EARLY  GENESIS  NARRATIVE.         113 


God  of  the  fathers  of  the  Hebrew  race,  appeared  unto  Moses, 
He  declared  that  by  the  name  Jehovah  was  He  not  known 
unto  those  patriarchs.  *  But  in  the  history  of  that 
patriarchal  period  the  name  Jehovah  does  appear  as  syn- 
onymous with  the  name  Elohim.  The  conclusion  is  thus 
forced  upon  us,  that  the  corrected  tradition  of  the  Hebrews 
was  iirst  written  after  the  divine  rectification  of  the  history 
made  unto  Moses. 

*  Exodus  6:  8. 


P^RT  III. 


DIVINE  REVELATION   CONTINUED   IN  OPPO- 
SITION TO  HEATHEN  NATURE-WORSHIP. 


[Genesis  12-50.] 


ABRAHAM  CALLED  0 UT  FROM  MOON-WORSHIPPERS.    117 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Abram  Called  out  From  the  Land  of  the  Moon- 
Worshippers. 

THE  lesson  taught  by  the  flood  soon  spent  its  force  upon 
the  hearts  of  the  tribes  who  turned  away  in  disappoint- 
ment from  the  tower  of  Babel.  As  a  tradition  in  many  dialects 
the  story  of  Noah  still  lingered  down  through  the  years,  but 
it  gradually  lost  its  essential  character  as  a  narrative  of 
God's  judgment  visited  upon  the  sins  of  the  race.  In  many 
parts  of  the  earth,  around  new  centres  did  the  descendants 
of  Noah  now  congregate,  and  very  soon  there  sprang  up  in 
their  minds  visions  of  other  gods.  The  flesh  and  the  heart 
of  men  became  divorced  from  Jehovah  and  were  wedded  in 
iniquity  unto  the  soil  of  the  ground.  The  beneficent  powers 
of  earth,  air  and  sky  in  the  form  of  water,  wind  and  light 
engaged  the  chief  interest  of  superstitious  minds  and  re- 
ceived worship  as  personal  beings  of  supernatural  character. 
Widespread  systems  of  such  nature-worship  went  on  in- 
creasing in  influence  until  monarchies  and  empires  were 
founded  upon  the  supposed  dignity  and  supremacy  of  the  sun 
and  the  moon  and  the  stars  among  the  orders  of  spiritual 
existence.  Iniquity  was  thus  again  lifting  its  unholy  power 
against  the  government  of  Jehovah  and  His  previous  reve- 
lations were  now  opposed  by  the  active  teaching  of  vast 
numbers  of  priests,  the  sworn  votaries  of  debasing  forms  of 
belief  and  worship.  Now,  therefore,  did  Jehovah,  as  it 
were,  accept  the  challenge  of  opposition  and  declare  Him- 
self in  the  very  midst  of  the  most  iron-handed  despotism 
that  superstition  had  as  yet  established.  Amidst  the  orgies 
of  moon-worship  on  the  banks  of  the  lower  Euphrates  in 
the  imperial  city  of  the  early  Babylonians  was  heard  his  voice. 
A  single  family  was  called  out  from  ancient  Ur  and  led 
away  to  be  Jehovah's  pupils  in  learning  His  covenant  mer- 
cies. Not  apart  from  heathenism,  but  in  presence  of  its 
greatest  earthly  power   and  stoutest  opposition  were  these 


118  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


lessons  in  tribal  and  personal  religion  to  be  given.  Abram 
and  his  sons  were  to  be  kept  in  close  contact  with  heathen 
men  in  order  the  more  clearly  to  learn  their  need  of  de- 
pendence upon  God. 

TJr  of  the  Ohaldees. 

It  was  the  grandson  of  Ham,  Nimrod  the  "  mighty  hunt- 
er," who  established  the  first  organized  government  in  the 
country  watered  by  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  With  a  band 
of  his  Cushite  brethren  this  mighty  leader  had,  perhaps, 
forced  his  way  eastward  across  the  desert  from  the  Nile 
country,  and  had  builded  four  cities — Babel,  Erech,  Accad 
and  Calneh — on  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates  as  the  four 
corner-stones  of  his  kingdom.  Into  this  Cushite  kingdom 
came  strong  bands  of  the  sons  of  Shem  to  take  possession 
of  the  land  and  to  impress  their  race  characteristics  upon 
its  social  and  political  organization.  These  Semites  learned 
to  inscribe  their  own  history  in  the  cuneiform  language. 
They  made  the  arts  of  the  early  Accadians  their  own  ;  but 
they  made  the  sun  chief  of  the  gods  instead  of  the  moon, 
and  thus  instituted  that  form  of  sun-worship  afterwards 
practiced  by  the  Semitic  kingdoms  of  Babylonia  and  As- 
syria. One  Semitic  family  took  up  its  abode  within  or  near 
the  capital  city,  Ur,  and  so  brought  themselves  beneath  the 
very  shadow  of  moon-worship.  Through  Arphaxad,  the 
son  of  Shem,  there  arose  the  family  of  Eber,  called  from 
him,  Hebrews.  These  people  moved  southwards  from  the 
borders  of  Armenia  until  they  found  a  home  in  Ur.  In  the 
tenth  generation  from  Noah,  the  head  of  this  line  was 
Terah,  to  whom  were  born  three  sons.  The  youngest  of 
these  was  Abram,  to  .whom  Jehovah  had  allotted  the  right  of 
spiritual  primogeniture  over  all  the  races  of  the  earth.  The 
age  of  Terah  at  the  time  of  Abram's  birth  was  one  hundred 
and  thirty  years,  and  all  these  years  had  been  spent  in  wor- 
shipping idols.  Not  Jehovah,  but  "  other  gods  "*  did  Terah 
and  his  family  reverence,  and  long  afterwards  his  descend- 
ant, Laban,  gave  evidence  of  his  heritage  of  idolatry  by 
giving  the  name  of  gods  to  the  little  images  concealed  by 
Rachel. t  Abram's  early  years  were  spent  beneath  the 
shadow  of  that  temple  whose  ruins  still  stand  on  the  central 

*  Joshua  24  :  2.        +  Gen.  31. 


VR  OF  THE  CHALDEES.  119 


platform  of  the  city  of  Ur.  His  eyes  and  his  ears  were  be- 
sieged by  the  sights  and  the  sounds  peculiar  to  the  ritual  of 
the  chief  luminary  of  night. 

The  native  Accadians  were  a  cultivated  people.  The  sci- 
ences of  astronomy  and  astrology  were  developed  at  a  very 
early  date  among  them,  and  before  the  coming  of  the  rude 
Semitic  shepherds  of  the  upper  plains  they  had  a  prayer- 
book  filled  with  exorcisms  and  magical  incantations.  Sar- 
gon,  the  Semitic  king  of  Ur,  imitated  his  Hamitic  brethren 
in  his  patronage  of  learning,  in  his  legislation  and  in  his 
conquests.  He  brought  his  countrymen  into  close  contact 
with  the  peoples  of  Syria  and  Palestine.  He  started  Se- 
mitic civilization  upon  that  career  of  development  which 
wrought  out  afterwards  the  splendor  of  Babylon  and 
Nineveh. 

The  first  form  of  the  Accadian  religion  was  pure  sorcery. 
Popular  imagination  peopled  every  object  in  nature  with  a 
good  or  an  evil  spirit.  These  spirits  brought  health  or  dis- 
ease, woe  or  blessing,  and  were  to  be  dealt  with  through 
charms  or  the  magic  of  the  sorcerer-priest.  The  character 
of  the  latter  was  about  the  same  as  that  of  the  medicine-man 
of  the  North  American  Indians.  After  a  time  the  Accadians 
began  to  deify  these  forces  of  nature,  and  at  the  head  of  their 
hierarchy  of  gods  they  placed  the  moon.  The  sun  held  the 
second  place  of  honor  as  a  god,  and  temples  were  erected  to 
him  at  Erech  and  Larsa.  When  the  Semites  gained  control 
of  the  country  they  adopted  the  entire  religious  creed  of  the 
Accadians  and  made  it  a  part  of  their  own.  Now  was  the 
sun  given  the  precedence  over  the  moon,  but  the  queen  of 
night  was  left  in  sole  possession  of  the  ancient  centre  of  em- 
pire, the  city  of  Ur.  The  Babylonian  creed  seems  to  have 
been  a  strange  mixture,  with  its  Accadian  basis  of  sorcery 
and  the  Semitic  reverence  for  the  sun,  moon  and  stars.  A 
vast  number  of  hymns  were  written  in  honor  of  these  deities 
of  the  sky,  and  the  chanting  of  them  was  mingled  with  the 
wild  incantations  of  the  sorcerer-priest. 

Among  these  Accadians  and  Semites  of  Ur,  real  advances 
in  knowledge  were  gained.  The  Accadians  invented  the 
calendar  and  the  signs  of  the  Zodiac.  The  art  of  writing 
was  developed  and  large  works  on  astronomy  and  astrology 
were  written  at  the  same  time  with  vast  numbers  of  addresses 


120  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


to  the  gods.  But  it  cannot  be  said  that  there  was  an  up- 
ward movement  in  religious  ideas.  The  last  state  of  these 
people  was  worse  than  the  first.  A  continual  terror  of  evil 
spirits  and  demons  rested  upon  the  soul  of  every  man.  Each 
hour  of  the  day  was  filled  with  a  hideous  ritual  that  sought  to 
quiet  men's  slavish  fears  by  the  use  of  charms  and  images, 
or  kept  them  crouching  in  abject  trembling  before  the  shrine 
of  the  sun  or  the  moon. 

Abram's  First  Call. 

Suddenly  there  came  into  this  land  of  spiritual  darkness 
the  clear  shining  of  the  light.  Jehovah  broke  the  silence 
that  had  lasted  since  the  days  wherein  He  spake  to  Noah. 
After  centuries — we  know  not  how  many — the  thread  of 
divine  revelation  was  again  taken  up  and  the  man  who  had 
the  spiritual  capacity  to  see  and  hear  was  Abram.  The 
prominence  of  this  new  servant  of  God  is  attested  by  con- 
tract-tablets lately  dug  up  near  his  old  home  bearing  the 
name  Abu-ramu  (Abram),  "the  exalted  father."  His  in- 
fluence was  sufficient  to  remove  a  great  tribe  from  the  me- 
tropolis of  moon-worship  to  a  home  on  the  frontier  of  the 
empire — from  Ur  to  Haran.  The  Book  of  Genesis  speaks 
of  the  exodus  as  a  tribal  migration.  "And  Terah  took  Abram, 
his  son,  and  Lot,  the  son  of  Haran,  his  son's  son,  and  Sarai, 
his  daughter-in-law,  his  son  Abram's  wife;  and  they  went 
forth  with  them  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  to  go  into  the  land 
of  Canaan;  and  they  came  unto  Haran  and  dwelt  there.* 
The  personal  names  borne  by  this  moving  tribe  are  all  Se- 
mitic: Sarai  is  the  Assyrian  sarrat,  "  queen."  Milcah, 
daughter  of  Haran,  and  wife  of  Nahor,  who  tarried  behind, 
is  the  Assyrian  milcat,  "  princess. "f  But  the  name  Haran 
as  the  objective  point  of  this  journey  is  a  word  meaning 
"  the  road."  This  linguistic  guide-post,  then,  reveals  the 
route  of  this  Semitic  family.  From  the  southern  to  the 
northern  limit  of  the  old  empire,  up  the  level  valley-plain 
between  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  they  took  their  way. 
Leaving  Babylon  on.  the  left  and  the  rising  Nineveh  on  the 
right,  they  pushed  on  to  the  frontier  district  of  northern 
Mesopotamia,  in  which  Haran  was  the  chief  city.  Through 
it  ran  the  great  "  road  "  from  the  Euphrates  region  to  Syria 

*  Gen.  11 :  31.    +  Sayce :  Fresh  Light  from  the  Anc.  Mon.,  p.  44. 


ABRAM'S  FIRST  CALL.  121 


and  Palestine  in  the  west.  This  city — Haran — was  dedi- 
cated to  the  worship  of  the  moon-god.  The  conical  stone 
with  star  above  it,  which  was  the  emblem  of  this  deity,  has 
been  found  to  confirm  the  other  evidence  in  favor  of  this 
view.  Through  this  city  some  centuries  before  had  Sargon, 
of  Accad,  marched  across  the  fords  of  the  Euphrates  to  the 
Mediterranean  coast.  The  land  of  Canaan  was,  therefore, 
not  unknown  in  Babylonia.  But  the  first  stage  in  the  jour- 
ney of  Terah  and  Abram  left  them  still  beneath  the  shadow 
of  moon-worship.  And  beneath  its  shadow  did  Terah  die. 
Whatever  the  impulse  that  moved  the  elder  chief  of  this 
tribe,  he  never  shook  himself  free  from  the  sight  of  the 
idolatrous  worship  paid  the  moon.  If  it  was  only  the  rov- 
ing disposition  of  Terah  that  led  him  away  from  Ur  to  Ha- 
ran, it  was  the  voice  of  God  that  moved  Abram.  "  The 
God  of  glory  appeared  unto  our  father  Abraham,  when  he 
was  in  Mesopotamia,  before  he  dwelt  in  Charran,  and  said 
unto  him,  '  Get  thee  out  of  thy  country  and  from  thy  kin- 
dred and  come  into  the  land  which  I  shall  shew  thee.'  "* 
We  know  not  what  was  the  manner  of  God's  appearing  unto 
Abram.  The  sacred  narrative  simply  takes  up  the  thread 
of  divine  revelation  as  made  to  the  descendants  of  Shem, 
whom  the  Lord  blessed  in  Noah's  presence.  No  open  vision 
from  the  Lord  had  been  granted  since  He  stood  among  men 
as  the  "God  of  blessing"f  and  the  God  of  the  covenant 
with  Noah.  Neither  His  form  nor  His  face  were  seen  there, 
nor  do  these  appear  in  the  interview  with  Abram  at 
Ur.  Perhaps  the  tradition  of  the  rainbow  covenant  was 
fresh  in  Abram's  memory,  and  most  probably  the  Lord  gave 
adequate  proof  of  His  divine  character  ih  the  method  of  His 
revelation.  At  all  events  the  command  was  understood  and 
acted  upon.  It  touched  the  main  point  in  the  matter  of 
beginning  a  life  of  supernatural  faith,  and  it  touched  no 
more.  Absolute  divorce  from  country  and  kindred  devoted 
to  moon-worship  was  naturally  the  first  step  in  such  a 
new  life.  The  objective  point  of  the  journey  could  be  left 
to  Him  who  first  of  all  commanded  Abram  to  set  forth. 
Whether  he  set  fire  to  the  temple  of  the  moon-god  and 
thus  caused  the  death  of  his  brother,  Haran,  who  sought 
to  rescue  his   beloved  idols,];  we  know   not,   but  it   is  cer- 

*  Acts  7:2,3.       +  Gen.  9:1.       t  Book  of  Jubilees,  ch.  12. 


122  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


tain  that  he  was  not  disobedient  unto  the  heavenly  vision 
and  ''  went  out,  not  knowing  whither  he  went."*  Perhaps 
the  Lord  interfered  with  miraculous  power  to  redeem  Abram 
from  perils  threatened  by  the  rulers,!  as  Jewish  and  Mahom- 
etan legends  affirm.  Perhaps  his  faith  was  strengthened  by 
guidance  furnished  him  during  the  long  journey  of  three 
hundred  miles  from  Ur  to  Haran.  There  at  last,  however,  he 
established  himself  and  there  he  dwelt  for  some  years — fif- 
teen or  twenty.  There  was  he  joined  by  his  brother,  Nahor, 
who  was  to  remain  as  the  head  of  a  rich  clan.  In  future 
years  the  descendants  of  Abram  were  to  return  to  Haran  to 
seek  wives  among  the  posterity  of  Nahor.  At  length  Terah, 
the  father,  was  gathered  unto  his  fathers,  and  lo!  the  voice 
of  God  immediately  spake  a  second  time  to  Abram. 

The  Second  Call. 

The  second  call  was  more  definite  than  the  first,  and 
moreover  there  was  added  a  threefold  promise:  "  Get  thee 
out  of  thy  country  and  from  thy  kindred  and  from  thy 
father's  house,  unto  the  land  that  I  will  shew  thee;  and  I  will 
make  of  thee  a  great  nation,  and  I  will  bless  thee  and  make 
thy  name  great;  and  be  thou  a  blessing;  and  I  will  bless 
them  that  bless  thee,  and  him  that  curseth  thee  will  I  curse; 
and  in  thee  shall  all  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed. "+ 

This  second  step  in  Abram's  new  life  was  a  divorce  from 
the  idol  worshippers  of  his  own  family.  His  country  and  his 
clan  were  left  at  Ur,  and  now  at  Haran  were  left  the  devotees 
of  moon-worship  who  belonged  to  his  fathe7'\s  house.  Abram 
was  called  to  be  the  head  of  a  new  tribe  unto  which  the 
promise  was  made  of  a  permanent  home;  in  that  home  the 
tribe  should  be  made  a  great  nation,  and,  as  such,  the  source 
of  blessing  to  all  families  of  the  earth.  "  So  Abram  departed 
as  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  him;  and  Lot  went  with  him: 
and  Abram  was  seventy  and  five  years  old  when  he  departed 
out  of  Haran. ".§ 

The  Vision  at  Sichem. 

Across  the  Euphrates  and  thence  southward  through  the 
desert  came  the  new  tribal  leader.  Perhaps  he  looked  upon 
Damascus  as  he  journeyed  onward  "  unto  the  oak  of  Moreh." 

*Heb.  11:8.        +lsa.  29:22.        t  Gen.  12:  1,  2,  3.        ?  Gen.  12:4. 


THE  VISION  AT  SICHEM.  123 


Beneath  the  spreading  branches  at  Sichem,  in  the  most  fer- 
tile and  most  beautiful  valley  in  all  Palestine,  the  patriarch 
pitched  his  tent  and  gathered  about  him  all  the  souls  that 
had  journeyed  with  him.  "The  Canaanite  was  then  in  the 
land,"  but  ere  Abram  came  into  contact  with  their  religion 
the  Lord  appeared  unto  him.*  While  Abram  was  still  won- 
dering, perhaps,  whether  his  pleasant  abode  was  beyond  the 
power  of  the  moon-worshippers,  he  saw  and  heard  the  Lord. 
It  is  a  significant  fact  that  the  first  visible  appearance  of  the 
Lord  was  granted  to  a  man  just  fresh  from  the  sights  of 
moon-worship.  It  is  true,  the  appearances  of  the  Lord  in 
Ur  and  in  Haran  may  have  been  in  visible  form.  But  Adam 
simply  heard  His  voice,  and  unto  Noah  he  spake,  but  now 
unto  Abram  did  he  "  appear  "  and  speak.  The  three  dis- 
tinct messages  received  b}''  Abram  in  this  first  stage  of  his 
life  of  faith  reached  a  climax  in  this  vision  at  the  oak  of 
Moreh.  The  covenant-relationship  established  with  Noah 
and  his  sons  was  now  taken  as  the  basis  of  further  revela- 
tions. In  sharp  opposition  to  the  debased  teachings  of  the 
Chaldean  priests,  the  Lord  of  Heaven  appeared  to  Abram 
and  made  definite  promises  on  condition  of  obedience. 
Trusting  himself  absolutely  to  the  guidance  of  the  divine 
voice,  Abram  was  led  by  degrees  entirely  beyond  the  bounds 
.  of  the  religion  of  his  fathers.  And  now  appeared  unto  him 
the  Heavenly  Governor  to  specify  in  distinct  terms  the  home 
which  constituted  the  first  part  of  the  promise.  "  Unto  thy 
seed  will  I  give  this  land."  The  gods  and  the  home  of  his 
fathers  had  he  surrendered,  but  he  had  gained  instead  a 
home  and  a  God  of  his  own,  with  greater  things  yet  to  come. 
Thereupon,  even  as  Noah  had  done  before  him,  Abram 
"builded  an  altar  unto  the  Lord"  and  worshipped  before 
Him.  As  he  journeyed  southward  seeking  pasture  for  his 
herds,  he  continued  to  erect  the  altar  and  to  "  call  on  the 
name  of  Jehovah. "f  Abram's  "  faith  "  was,  in  fact,  the  new 
life  opened  up  to  him.  He  had  obeyed  the  heavenly  voice; 
he  had  followed  its  guidance,  and  now  he  offered  praise  and 
honor  to  the  Lord  who  appeared  to  him  and  made  good  His 
promise.  Abram  had  been  translated  from  the  kingdom  of 
human   superstition  to  the  kingdom  of  divine  revelation, 

*  Gen.  12:  7.       +  Gen.  12:  8,9. 


124  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


and  just  at  the  moment  of  complete  entrance  he  was  granted 
a  vision  of  his  Master. 

What  was  the  form  of  the  Lord's  appearing  we  do  not 
know.  Since  "no  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time,"  some 
scholars  have  supposed  that  the  Son  of  God  appeared  here 
to  Abram,  as  He  afterwards  did  appear  as  the  "Angel  of  the 
Covenant"  unto  patriarchs  and  prophets.  It  would  be  fit- 
ting that  not  the  Father  but  the  Son  should  manifest  Him- 
self in  indicating  the  home  promised  Abram,  since  the  Son 
must  be  the  medium  through  whom  have  since  been  fully 
accomplished  all  the  promises  of  power  and  of  blessing  ac- 
corded unto  this  father  of  them  that  believe. 


THE  FAMINE  IN  PALESTINE.  125 


CHAPTER  X. 
Abram  Tempted  by  the  Sun-Worshippers. 

The  Famine  in  Palestine. 

MOVED  by  the  impulse  of  new  and  wider  hopes,  Abram 
proclaimed  the  name  of  Jehovah  from  every  green  hill- 
top between  Sichem  and  the  "  south  country"  beyond  the 
slopes  of  Judah.*  But  his  faith  must  needs  be  tried,  as  sil- 
ver is  tried  in  the  furnace.  His  experience  of  Jehovah's 
power  and  sovereign  love  was  as  yet  limited  to  a  narrow 
range  of  events.  Weakness  and  error  still  lingered  in 
Abram's  soul,  and  these  must  be  driven  out  as  by  fire. 
Notwithstanding  all  this,  still  was  he  Jehovah's  servant  and 
ever  ready  to  learn  Jehovah's  will.  His  faith  was  real,  but 
it  must  enter  into  struggles  great  and  prolonged  along  the 
line  of  deeper  and  clearer  knowledge  of  the  God  of  revela- 
tion. 

The  tenderest  and  strongest  hope  in  his  new  life  was  the 
first  to  feel  the  touch  of  the  fire.  The  very  basis  of  all  the 
divine  promises  was  a  permanent  home  for  himself  and  for 
his  seed  after  him.  This  rich  territory  which  he  explored 
with  increasing  delight  had  been  named  as  his  heritage. 
Even  now,  as  his  herds  grew  in  numbers  and  in  value  in  this 
land  of  fruitfulness,  Abram  felt  the  joy  of  increasing  own- 
ership. He  saw  in  anticipation  his  flocks  and  his  tribes 
spreading  over  every  valley  and  hill  and  worshipping  under 
every  towering  tree.  But  suddenly  the  finger  of  blight  was 
laid  upon  this  fair  vineyard,  and  famine  brought  grief  to  the 
heart  of  man  and  beast.  The  failure  of  crops  and  herbage 
at  intervals  of  various  length  is  a  phenomenon  peculiar  to 
the  land  of  Palestine.  Just  now  did  God  so  dispose  the 
coming  of  winds  and  rains  that  the  resulting  desolation 
served  as  an  instrument  for  testing  Abram's  faith. 

Another  vision  now  appeared  to  the  Hebrew  chief — an 
earthly  vision — the  fruitfulness  of  the  land  of  the  sun-wor- 

*Gen.l2:8,  9. 


126  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


shippers  on  the  river  Nile.  The  abundance  of  food  crops 
that  sprang  up  in  the  track  of  that  great  stream's  annual 
overflow  seemed  to  challenge  the  vines  and  the  verdure  of 
Abram's  rolling  land,  for  these  had  to  await  their  supply  of 
moisture  from  the  clouds  of  the  sky.  At  once  Abram  set 
out  on  a  journey  of  exploration.  "He  went  down  into 
Egypt  to  sojourn  there."*  There  was  no  surrender  of  his 
own  land  of  promise  and  no  surrender  of  his  own  God.  He 
did  not  give  up  the  faith  which  he  had,  but  he  was  soon  to 
learn  that  he  needed  more  than  he  had.  He  continued  to 
call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  as  he  pushed  across  the  wil- 
derness of  Shur.  No  doubt  he  did  this,  and  no  doubt  he 
fully  meant  to  proclaim  the  name  of  Jehovah  in  the  fields 
of  Egyptian  plenty,  but  he  was  also  to  learn  more  of  the 
character  of  Jehovah,  whose  name  he  sought  to  honor.  In 
Egypt  he  probably  found  a  king  of  the  Hyksos  dynasty  on 
the  throne. 

Abram  before  the  Pharaoh. 

The  Hyksos  power  was  concentrated  at  Zoan  or  Tanis, 
near  the  Mediterranean.  There  the  kings  assumed  the 
Egyptian  title,  Pharoah,  and  surrounded  themselves  with 
Egyptian  gods.  The  hearts  of  shepherds  of  the  desert 
were  beating  under  Egyptian  garments  at  the  court  of  Tanis, 
when  the  shepherd  chief,  Abram,  approached  the  land  of 
Egypt.  But  these  hearts,  though  hospitable,  as  desert- 
dwellers  are,  were  corrupt  after  the  manner  of  Egyptian 
corruptness.  The  long-drawn-out  myths  of  the  sun-wor- 
shippers, and  their  low  system  of  morals,  had  found  wel- 
come at  the  imperial  court  of  the  rude  shepherds.  They 
imitated  the  culture  of  the  more  polished  children  of  Ham. 
They  kept  scribes  in  order  that  they  might  keep  pace  with 
the  literary  works  of  the  Egyptians,  and  they  have  left  a 
papyrus  on  the  subject  of  geometry  to  show  how  far  they 
cultivated  the  science  which  was  invented  by  the  early 
dwellers  on  the  Nile.  They  went  so  far  as  to  keep  standing 
armies  in  two  fortresses  which  they  built  on  the  frontier  of 
their  royal  domain.  But  the  canker  of  Egyptian  vice  had 
eaten  its  way  into  the  souls  of  these  nomadic  tribes,  and 
Abram  knew  it,  or  guessed  it.     Therefore  did  he  prepare  a 

*  Gen.  12:  10. 


ABRAHAM'S  FALSEHOOD.  127 


scheme  of  deception  to  meet  the  violence  which  probably 
awaited  him  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 

The  immortality  of  the  soul  was  the  one  idea  which  the 
Hamitic  imagination  t)rought  forth  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile, 
and  that  idea  links  pyramid,  sphinx  and  mummy  into  one 
long  system  of  theoretical  purity  and  practical  abomination. 
The  elaborate  myths  of  Osiris  and  Ra  were  merely  epic  frag- 
ments in  which  the  sun-god  played  a  heroic  part  against  the 
power  of  darkness.  But  the  refrain  of  low  morality  which 
ran  through  these  myths  shows  their  origin.  The  sun  is 
at  times  only  an  animal  of  the  ground,  playing  his  part  in 
the  sky,  but  never  losing  his  bestial  character.  The  priests 
chanted  sun-worship,  but  the  people  practiced  the  morals  of 
the  field  and  the  forest.  Such  were  the  possessors  of  Egypt 
when  Abram  drew  near  from  famine-stricken  Palestine. 

Abram's  Falsehood. 

So  far  as  the  regard  for  truthfulness  was  concerned,  Abram 
was  not  much  above  the  Egyptians.  He  practiced  falsehood 
in  order  to  escape  their  enmity  and  to  preserve  the  honor  of 
his  wife,  Sarai.  Certain  writings  on  papyrus  have  come 
down  from  about  the  time  of  Abram*  and  others  from  the 
time  of  Rameses  II. ,t  w^hich  deal  with  the  social  customs  of 
that  time.  In  one  of  these  we  are  told  that  the  wife  and 
children  of  a  foreigner  were  seized  and  made  the  property 
of  the  king,  and  in  the  other  we  are  informed  of  a  military 
expedition  sent  by  the  Pharaoh  to  bring  to  his  harem  a  beau- 
tiful woman  and  to  dispose  of  her  husband  by  slaughtering 
him.  Now  Abram  sought  to  contend  against  such  practices 
in  his  case  by  pure  deception.  He  passed  off  Sarai  as  his 
sister — but  that  which  he  had  feared  befell  them.  Sarah 
was  taken  by  the  officers  of  Pharaoh — and  then  Jehovah  in- 
tervened to  save  Sarai,  to  deliver  Abram  and  to  give  him  a 
lesson  in  divine  providence.  The  plague  fell  immediately 
and  a  great  awe  rested  upon  the  souls  of  the  Egyptians. 
When  Pharaoh  learned  the  truth  he  dismissed  Abram  and 
his  people  in  peace.  They  went  away  "rich  in  cattle,  in  sil- 
ver and  in  gold,"t  and  richer  still  in  the  divine  lessons  they 
had  learned. 

*  Chabas  :  Les  papyrus  hi^ratiques  de  Berlin.    fStory  of  the  Two  Brothers,  Papyrus 
d'Orbiney.  British  Museum.    X  Gen.  13 :  1,  2. 


128  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


The  Altar  at  Bethel. 

On  the  mountain-top  at  Bethel,  by  the  side  of  his  old 
altar,  as  he  again  offered  sacrifice  and  called  on  the  name  of 
Jehovah,*  Abram  was  a  stronger  aiid  a  wiser  man.  The 
God  who  had  kept  His  word  by  showing  him  his  future 
home,  had  taught  Abram  that  he  also  must  keep  his  word 
and  speak  the  truth.  Jehovah  had  manifested  His  power 
against  the  sun-god  even  as  before  against  the  moon-god. 
Thus  did  Abram  return  to  his  pasture-lands  with  the  new 
knowledge  that  not  Palestine  nor  even  the  valley  of  the  Nile 
supply  temporal  needs  but  Jehovah  Himself.  He  had  given 
this  increase  of  wealth  to  His  servant.  He  had  interfered 
with  miraculous  power  to  teach  Abram  that  not  his  own 
shrewdness,  not  his  human  schemes  could  avert  danger,  but 
that  Jehovah's  love  watched  over  him  day  and  night  to 
keep  him  in  all  his  ways.  Therefore  did  Abram  entrust 
himself  to  the  Lord's  keeping  and  allow  the  Lord  to  choose 
for  him  when  the  hour  came  to  separate  himself  from  Lot. 
The  occasion  of  their  separation  was  the  wealth  acquired  in 
Egypt.  For  "  the  land  was  not  able  to  bear  them,  that  they 
might  dwell  together ;  for  their  substance  was  great. "f  In 
the  walled  towns  dwelt  the  Canaanites,  and  along  the  fertile 
slopes  in  huts  dwelt  the  rustic  Perizzites.  In  seeking  out 
the  pasture-lands,  the  herdmen  of  Abram  and  the  herdmen 
of  Lot  began  to  engage  in  strife.  Then  the  lesson  of  the 
Egyptian  experience  wrought  its  good  result  in  Abram. 
Worldliness  had  been  crushed  out  of  his  heart  and  godli- 
ness had  taken  a  stronger  hold.  Contention  about  cattle 
and  lands  could  not  be  engaged  in  by  a  man  who  had  so  im- 
pressively learned  that  God  disposes  of  both.  Abram,  there- 
fore, gave  Lot  the  choice  of  territory. 

Abram's  Separation  from  Lot. 

Now  Lot  had  not  learned  as  Abram  had.  The  Egyptian 
fever  had  seized  him  with  fatal  force.  The  cattle  brought 
up  from  the  Nile  were  now  more  to  him  than  his  uncle's 
friendship.  They  were  of  more  value  than  Abram's  God, 
of  whom  he  had  been  told.  Further  than  this,  a  great 
worldly  vision  was  floating  before  his  eye.  "  Lot  lifted  up 
his  eyes  and  beheld  all  the  plain  of  Jordan;  that  it  was  well 

*  Gen.  13:  3.4.       +  Gen.  13:  6. 


ABRAM'S  SEPARATION  FROM  LOT.  129 


watered  everywhere  before  the  Lord  destroyed  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah,  even  as  the  garden  of  the  Lord,  like  the  land  of 
Egypt,  as  thou  comest  unto  Zoar."  *  Another  Nile-region 
seemed  the  Jordan  plain,  irrigated  by  many  waters  and  re- 
joicing in  plenty,  as  it  were,  the  very  garden  of  Eden.  The 
cattle  of  the  Nile  were  already  his,  and  now  there  seemed  to 
be  offered  a  Nile  which  he  might  make  his  own.  The  dan- 
gers which  had  beset  the  tribe  in  the  land  of  Egypt  were  no 
longer  in  the  mind  of  Lot.  Even  greater  dangers  to  body 
and  to  soul  lurked  in  those  districts  of  the  plain,  for  "  the 
men  of  Sodom  were  wicked  and  sinners  before  the  Lord  ex- 
ceedingly." t  Thus  had  the  contact  with  the  sun-worship- 
pers prepared  Lot  for  a  still  lower  grade  of  morality,  and  he 
hesitated  not  to  pitch  his  tent  among  the  Sodomites.  But 
that  same  contact  with  the  Egyptian  religion  had  prepared 
Abram  for  a  higher  grade  of  morality  and  a  clearer  revela- 
tion from  God  Himself.  As  he  dwelt  still  on  the  hill  east 
of  Bethel  and  watched  the  departure  of  Lot  toward  the 
plain,  so  easil}'  seen  from  that  high  vantage-point,  the  Lord 
spake  again  in  renewal  of  the  former  promise.  "And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Abram,  after  that  Lot  was  separated  from 
him,  '  Lift  up  now  thine  eyes,  and  look  from  the  place 
where  thou  art,  northward  and  southward,  and  eastward 
and  westward:  For  all  the  land  which  thou  seest,  to 
thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed  for  ever.  And  I  will 
make  thy  seed  as  the  dust  of  the  earth;  so  that  if  a  man 
can  number  the  dust  of  the  earth,  then  'shall  thy  seed  also 
be  numbered.  Arise,  walk  through  the  land  in  the  length 
of  it  and  in  the  breadth  of  it;  for  I  will  give  it  unto  thee.'  "t 
What  an  expansion  of  the  promises  was  here  shown  the 
man  of  growing  faith.  From  his  trial  by  means  of  Egyptian 
morality  and  wealth,  Abram  had  been  led  up  to  Bethel  to 
hear  again  the  voice  of  Jehovah — to  have  his  promised 
home  measured  off  before  his  eyes,  and  to  have  more  definite 
words  concerning  the  second  part  of  the  great  hope  already 
set  before  him.  The  Lord  had  not  forgotten  any  part  of 
His  previous  pledges,  and  now  was  Abram  ready  to  receive 
confirmation  of  this  promise,  that  he  should  become  a  great 
nation.  His  own  seed  after  him  were  to  become  ''as  the  dust 
of  the  earth,"  and  fill  all  these  hills  and  valleys  that  lay  be- 

*Gen.  13:  10.       +Gen.  13:  13.       t  Gen.  13:  14-17. 
9 


130  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


fore  his  eyes.  Uplifted  with  joy  and  confidence,  Abram  re- 
moved his  tent  southward  until  he  came  to  the  Oaks  of 
Mamre. 

The  Home  in  Hebron. 

In  Hebron  he  "built  an  altar  unto  the  Lord."*  There 
he  found  the  third  resting-place  since  entering  Palestine. 
Sichem,  Bethel  and  Hebron  were  three  great  stages  in 
this  life  of  faith.  Rich  and  varied  experiences  were  behind 
him  as  he  reared  the  altar  at  Hebron,  and  the  promises  of 
Jehovah  had  been  made  more  and  more  definite.  Near 
Hebron,  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  were  Abram  and  Sarai  to 
sleep  earth's  last  sleep.  Abram's  only  personal  possession 
of  land  in  this  promised  territor}^  was  to  be  that  burial- 
place,  bought  with  silver  from  the  Hittite.  But  he  first 
came  to  Hebron,  just  after  his  acquisition  of  a  great  mea- 
sure of  personal  faith  in  Jehovah,  and  as  he  dwelt  there 
from  year  to  year  that  faith  grew  to  such  magnitude  that 
It  could  reach  a  hand  through  time  to  catch  the  joy  of  the 
perfect  fulfillment  of  all  God's  promises  in  the  day  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

*  Gen.  13:  18. 


THE  FAITH  OF  ABRAHAM  CONFIRMED.  131 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Faith  of  Abraham  Confirmed  by  the  Divine 
Covenants. 

FROM  the  period  of  Abram's  first  entrance  into  the  rich 
valley  of  Hebron,  until  he  died  there,  and  was  laid  to 
rest  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah  by  the  side  of  his  wife  Sarah, 
the  story  of  the  Hebrew  Patriarch  is  drawn  out  through 
nearly  twelve  chapters  of  the  Book  of  Genesis.*  This  pe- 
riod covers  about  ninety  years  of  his  life,  extending  from 
the  year  prior  to  Ishmael's  birth,  when  Abram  was  eighty- 
five,  until  the  year  of  his  death  at  the  age  of  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five.  This  is  a  period  of  great  development  in 
God's  revelations,  and  of  consequent  development  in  the 
faith  of  Abram.  The  twofold  growth  of  knowledge  and  of 
Godlike  character  runs  parallel  with  a  line  of  heathen  oppo- 
sition. God  trains  the  father  of  the  faithful  in  the  very 
presence  of  heathen  power  and  heathen  belief.  The  growth 
in  the  patriarch's  spiritual  character  is  symbolized  in  the 
change  of  his  name  from  Abram,  "  the  exalted  father,"  to 
Abraham,  "the  father  of  a  multitude."  The  progress  in 
God's  revelation  of  Himself  and  His  purposes  is  symbolized 
in  the  covenants  made  with  the  chosen  leader,  wherein  Jeho- 
vah swears  by  sacrificial  emblems  and  by  Himself  that  He 
will  make  good  His  promises.  A  corresponding  climax  in 
the  patriarch's  faith,  which  was  counted  to  him  for  right- 
eousness, is  revealed  in  his  independence  of  heathen  friend- 
ship when  he  buys  a  burial-place  from  the  Hittite  posses- 
sors of  his  own  promised  home,  and  lies  down  in  death  with 
absolute  confidence  in  the  power  and  the  truth  of  Jehovah. 
There  are  other  characters  introduced  into  this  long  his- 
tory. The  weakness  and  the  strength  of  Abram's  wife 
seems  an  echo  of  his  own  character,  and  she  also  is  given 
another  name,  Sarah,  as  a  sign  of  the  coming  blessings. 
Isaac   is  already  seventy-five  years  of  age  when  his  father 

*  Gen.  14-25:  10. 


132  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


dies,  and  a  part  of  Abram's  life  is  taken  up  with  the  in- 
terests of  his  son.  Esau  and  Jacob  also  engage  his  atten- 
tion, for  they  are  fifteen  at  his  death.  Abram's  later 
years,  too,  are  connected  with  another  line  of  descendants 
from  Keturah,  a  second  link,  as  Hagar  was  the  first,  with  the 
heathen  nations.  These  minor  events  are  merely  echoes  of 
the  great  conflict  which  runs  through  this  period  of  Abram's 
life.  When  he  turns  aside  to  these  important,  but  subordi- 
nate matters,  it  is  only  the  busy  work  of  the  warrior  rejoic- 
ing in  his  tent  after  a  new  victory.  If  we  fix  our  attention 
upon  the  leading  events  of  this  time,  we  shall  find  Jehovah 
leading  his  soldier-patriarch  up  to  greater  strength  and  wis- 
dom in  the  very  face  of  the  opposition  made  by  the  worship- 
pers of  Baal  and  Ashtoreth. 

"War  with  Babylonia — Tlie  Sacrificial  Covenant.* 

There  were  many  tribal  divisions  of  the  Canaanites,  who 
dwelt  on  the  eastern  and  western  banks  of  the  Jordan  river. 
They  were  all  descendants  of  Ham,  and  possessed  many  ele- 
ments of  Hamitic  civilization  and  religion,  but  they  seem 
to  have  used  the  Semitic  form  of  speech  and  to  have  prac- 
ticed chiefly  the  forms  of  Semitic  religion.  In  short,  while 
their  blood  was  Hamitic  they  were  subject  to  the  Babylo- 
nian government,  language  and  religious  faith.  The  late 
discoveries  by  Mr.  Bliss  at  Tel-el-Hesy  confirm  this  view  of 
a  Babylonian  civilization  among  these  Canaanite  tribes  in 
Palestine.  The  new  period  in  the  patriarch's  life  opened  with 
a  great  revolt  in  the  valley  of  the  Salt  Sea  against  the  dis- 
tant power  of  a  new  king  of  Babylonia.  From  Elam,  a  dis- 
trict east  of  the  Tigris,  a  Semitic  prince,  Chedorlaomer,  had 
issued  forth  and  made  himself  master  of  Babylonia.  From 
Shinar  and  Larsa,  or  Ellasar,  places  familiar  to  Abram's 
youth,  came  Amraphel  and  Arioch,  the  hereditary  kings,  to 
join  the  nomad  tribes  of  Tidal  and  the  imperial  army  of 
Chedorlaomer,  monarch  of  all  Babylonia.  It  was  the  power 
of  the  sun-worshipper  and  of  the  moon-worshipper  com- 
bined that  marched  westward  toward  Palestine  in  battle  ar- 
ray. From  the  valley  of  the  Jordan  and  the  Salt  Sea  there 
floated  the  sounds  of  battle  across  the  hills  to  Abram  at 
Hebron.     The  first  battle  was  joined  at  Ashtoreth  Karnaim, 

*Gen.  14-15. 


WAR  WITH  BABYLONIA.  133 


"Ashtoreth  of  the  two  horns,"  against  the  giant  Rephaims. 
It  was  a  battle  of  the  heathen  gods — the  moon  against  Ish- 
tar,  goddess  of  the  planet  Venus.  Her  name  was  here  called 
Ashtoreth,  and  later,  among  the  Phoenicians,  Astarte.  Her 
image  suggested  the  idea  of  a  horned  figure,  and  about  some 
great  shrine,  therefore,  was  this  first  conflict.  Thence  south- 
ward did  the  Babylonian  host  march,  gaining  victory  after 
victory,  from  "  the  plains  of  Kiriathaim"  to  the  caves  of  Mt. 
Seir  and  the  wilderness  of  Paran  far  south  of  Palestine. 
Thence  northward  turned  the  tide  of  battle  as  far  as  Ka- 
desh  and  the  palm  groves  of  Engedi.  Abram  had  listened 
to  the  sounds  of  war  as  they  passed  in  a  half-circle  east 
and  south  of  him,  until  now  their  trumpets  were  sounding 
along  the  cliffs  west  of  the  Salt  Sea  and  not  far  away  from 
Hebron.  But  the  battles  had  been  fought  upon  the  hills  and 
the  slopes.  In  the  central  valley,  about  the  mouth  of  the 
Jordan,  there  were  still  five  kings  unconquered.  Sodom  was 
the  banner  city,  and  Lot,  Abram's  kinsman,  was  allied  with 
the  cities  of  the  plain.  The  veteran  army  was  again  victori- 
ous over  depraved  and  enervated  multitudes.  The  Babylo- 
nian army  turned  northward,  bearing  the  prisoners  and 
goods  that  had  resulted  from  a  brilliant  campaign.  The 
spirit  of  Abram  was  roused  when  the  news  was  brought  him 
of  Lot's  capture.  A  force  of  three  hundred  and  eighteen 
armed  men  could  he  muster  from  his  own  tribal  household, 
and  besides  these,  the  Hittite  chiefs — Mamre,  Aner  and  Esh- 
col — were  willing  to  bear  him  company  with  their  tribal  con- 
tingents. "  A  sudden  attack  in  the  far  north,  near  Damascus, 
gave  Abram  the  victory  over  his  careless  enemy,  and  he 
returned  southward  as  the  favored  follower  of  God  and  a 
great  hero  in  the  eyes  of  the  kings  and  tribal  chiefs.  "And 
the  king  of  Sodom  went  out  to  meet  him  after  his  return 
from  the  slaughter  of  Chedorlaomer,  and  of  the  kings  that 
were  with  him,  at  the  valley  of  Shaveh,  which  is  the  king's 
dale."  * 

Probably  the  valley  of  the  Kidron,  near  Jerusalem,  was 
the  "  king's  dale,"  whither  the  kings  from  the  plains  east  of 
Jordan  flocked  to  meet  the  conqueror.  The  King  of  Sodom 
desired  to  be  generous  of  the  spoil  recaptured,  but  Abram 
refused  to  place  himself  under  obligation  to  a  king  and  peo- 

♦  Gen.  14:  17. 


134  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


pie  who  led  such  vicious  lives.  "  And  Abram  said  to  the 
King  of  Sodom,  I  havfe  lifted  up  mine  hand  unto  the  Lord,  the 
most  high  God,  the  possessor  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  I 
will  not  take  from  a  thread  even  to  a  shoe-lachet,  and  that  I 
will  not  take  anything  that  is  thine  lest  thou  shouldest  say, 
I  have  made  Abram  rich."*  The  lesson  of  faith  already 
learned  in  the  land  of  the  Pharaohs  finds  fitting  illustration 
in  this  refusal  of  Abram  to  put  confidence  in  earthly  wealth 
and  power.  The  divine  assistance  has  enabled  him  to  de- 
feat Chedorlaomer  and  to  reject  the  friendship  of  Sodom. 
He  is  the  Lord's  champion  against  the  moon-god  and  against 
Baal  and  Ashtoreth.  Therefore  does  he  turn  to  render  honor 
to  God's  priest,  Melchizedek,  the  kingof  Salem,  who  likewise 
stands  in  the  king's  dale  to  do  Abram  honor.  "  Salem  " 
was  the  name  then  given,  it  seems,  to  the  fortress  afterwards 
called  Jerusalem.  Melchizedek  was  the  priest-king  who 
ruled  and  worshipped  there  in  accordance  with  God's  primi- 
tive revelations.  From  Noah's  days  most  probably  the  tradi- 
tion of  God's  teachings  had  been  handed  down,  and  here  in 
this  mountain  fortress  was  a  sincere  worshipper  of  the  Most 
High  God.  The  light  of  these  early  revelations  shone  forth 
for  a  moment  amid  the  greater  glory  of  the  new  teachings 
of  Jehovah  made  known  to  Abram.  As  a  type  of  the  Son  of 
God  was  he  brought  forward  without  announcement  of  his 
genealogy,  nor  Avas  mention  made  of  the  beginning  of  his 
priesthood  nor  the  ending  of  it.f  He  was  God's  king  and 
God's  priest  kept  pure  and  true  in  the  midst  of  idolatrous 
nations  in  order  that  he  might  lay  his  hands  in  blessing 
upon  Abram's  head  and  so  fulfill  typically  all  the  prom- 
ises made  to  the  receiver  of  new  revelations.  Melchizedek 
''brought  forth  bread  and  wine  .  .  .  and  he  blessed  him, 
and  said,  Blessed  be  Abram  of  the  Most  High  God,  possessor 
of  heaven  and  earth :  and  blessed  be  the  Most  High  God  which 
hath  delivered  thine  enemies  into  thy  hand."+  Abram  re- 
cognized the  priest  as  God's  representative,  and  gave  to  him 
a  tenth  part  of  all  the  spoil,  as  an  offering  due  unto  the  di- 
vine giver  of  victory. 

From  the  scene  in  the  Kidron  valle}^  where  Abram  had 
shown  his  independence  of  earthly  princes  and  his  strong 
trust  in  God,  the  patriarch  was  called  immediately^  into  the 

*Gen.l4:  22,  23.        +Heb.  7:1-4.        |  Gen.  14<  18-20. 


WAR  WITH  BABYLONIA.    '  135 


divine  presence  through  the  word  of  the  Lord.  In  a  "  vis- 
ion "  the  divine  voice  said,  "Fear  not,  Abram:  I  am  thy 
shield  and  thy  exceeding  great  reward."  * 

The  message  was  God's  answer  to  His  servant  just  fresh 
from  the  field  of  battle.  A  new  danger  had  threatened  his 
promised  home.  The  power  of  the  empire  of  the  moon-god 
had  sent  its  spears  across  the  desert  to  invade  the  hills  of 
Canaan.  God's  power  had  nerved  Abram's  arm  and  had 
given  victory  to  his  small  army.  But  the  fear  of  the  Baby- 
lonian armies  in  the  future  may  have  crept  into  Abram's 
heart.  The  voice  of  Jehovah  was  intended  to  drive  out  such 
apprehension.  The  God  of  Abram  declared  Himself  able 
and  ready  to  make  good  His  promises  even  on  the  battle- 
field. He  affirmed  that  no  array  of  heathen  spears  could 
pierce  through  the  shield  which  His  arm  interposed  between 
Abram  and  danger. 

Then  Abram  asked  for  a  sign  concerning  the  promises 
already  made,  and  Jehovah  at  once  entered  into  the  first 
solemn  covenant  with  His  servant.  Beneath  the  sky,  at 
eventide,  the  Lord  brought  Abram  out  into  the  plain.  "He 
that  shall  come  forth  out  of  thine  own  bowels  shall  be  thine 

heir." "  Look  now  toward  heaven  and 

tell  the  stars  if  thou  be  able  to  number  them;  and  He  said 
unto  him:  'So  shall  thy  seed  be.'"t  As  Abram  looked  at 
the  stars  he  counted  them  not,  but  he  counted  the  number 
of  times  the  Lord  had  already  kept  His  word  of  promise — 
he  counted  the  great  progress  made  in  the  revelation  of 
God's  love  and  wisdom.  Therefore  he  surrendered  at  once 
his  own  human  wisdom  and  accepted  God's  wisdom.  "  He 
believed  in  the  Lord  and  He  counted  it  to  him  for  righteous- 
ness."+  Abram's  supreme  confidence  in  the  Lord  became 
the  motive-power  of  a  new  life,  in  which  his  will  and  choice 
were  always  made  submissive  to  God's  choice  for  him.  It 
seems  clear  that  "  the  Word  of  the  Lord  "  that  brought  this 
vision  and  made  the  covenant  with  Abram  was  the  Second 
Person  of  the  Trinity — the  Son  of  God  Himself.  Thus  did 
Abram's  faith  rest  upon  the  Person  of  Christ,  and  with  Him 
was  the  covenant  made.  The  only  revealer  of  the  divine 
will  came  in  Person  to  say,  "  I  am  thy  shield,"  and  He  also 

*  Gen.  15:1.       +  Gen.  15:2-5.        t  Gen.  15:6. 


136  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


said,  "I  am  the  Lord  that  brought  thee  out  of  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees  to  give  thee  this  land  to  inherit  it."* 

In  the  same  day  with  these  expanded  promises,  the  Lord 
made  a  covenant  with  Abram,  in  accordance  with  the  method 
of  making  covenants  among  the  nations  of  that  day.  The. 
Lord  condescended  to  enter  into  an  obligation  after  the  man- 
ner of  men,  typical  of  His  divine  guidance  in  every  detail  of 
the  life  of  His  servants.  "  Take  me  an  heifer  of  three  years' 
old,  and  a  she-goat  of  three  years'  old,  and  a  ram  of  three 
years'  old,  and  a  turtle-dove  and  a  young  pigeon.  And  he 
took  unto  him  all  these  and  divided  them  in  the  midst,  and 
laid  each  piece  one  against  another;  but  the  birds  divided 
he  not."  t  From  Abram's  staple  of  wealth  were  these  ani- 
mals selected  as  a  sacrificial  offering  unto  God.  It  is  true  they 
were  not  presented  upon  an  altar,  but  the  fundamental  idea 
of  sacrifice  was  carried  out  in  the  slaughter  of  the  animals. 
To  gain  an  accurate  estimate  of  this  transaction  we  must 
consult  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  of  Babylonia. 

As  already  stated,  the  name  of  Abram,  Abu-ramu,  has 
been  found  written  on  Babylonian  ''  contract-tablets  "  of  a 
ver}^  early  date.  In  the  British  Museum  there  are  large 
numbers  of  these  tablets  dating  back  as  far  as  2400  B.  C.+ 
They  reveal  a  highly-developed  system  of  law  whose  aim 
was  the  protection  of  property.  The  boundaries  of  property 
were  marked  off"  by  stelae;  deeds  to  land  were  formally 
drawn  up,  witnessed  and  sealed. §  On  the  one  side  of  the 
contract-tablet  are  stated  the  terms  of  the  contract  and  the 
names  of  the  contracting  parties  ;  on  the  other  side  is  given 
a  list  of  the  witnesses  to  the  contract,  also  the  date  and  the 
name  of  the  king  and  his  country.  Sometimes  the  tablet 
bears  the  impression  of  the  seals  of  the  witnesses. ||  Con- 
cerning the  character  of  these  seals  we  have  definite  infor- 
mation from  a  contract-tablet  of  the  seventeenth  year  of 
King  Nabonidos,  who  began  to  rule  in  Babylon  about  556 
B.  C.  Of  course  this  was  long  after  the  time  of  Abram,  but 
the  form  of  a  legal  document  had  probably  not  changed 
during  all  those  centuries.  On  this  tablet  the  seal  of  Zikir- 
ukin,  the  judge,  is  represented  by  "a  priest  standing  before 
a  large  bird,  over  which  is  a  star."     The  seal  of  Kiribtu  is 

*Gen.l5:7.    +Gen.  15:  9-10.    t  Budge:  Babylonian  Life, p.  114.    gSayce  :  Ancient  Em- 
pires, p.  175.    II  Budge :  Babylonian  Life,  p.  114. 


WAR  WITS  BABYLONIA.  137 


represented  by  "  a  priest  standing  before  an  altar,  over 
wliich,  on  the  top  of  a  pole,  a  cock  is  seated."  The  seal  of 
Edir-Bel,  the  magistrate,  is  represented  by  "a  priest  stand- 
ing before  an  animal  seated  on  an  altar,  behind  which  two 
poles  are  standing."  *  Sometimes  the  later  Babylonian  doc- 
uments were  inscribed  on  large  stones  which  were  set  up  as 
boundary-marks.  Dr.  Oppert  has  translated  one  of  these 
stones  which  contains  a  deed  for  a  field  near  Bagdad.  The 
land  is  described  and  measured  off,  assigned  by  Sirusur  as  a 
bridal  gift  to  his  daughter  ;  then  follow  the  names  of  twelve 
great  gods,  whose  curses  are  invoked  upon  him  "  who  will 
venture  to  take  away  the  boundary-stone."  f  From  these 
facts  it  seems  clear  that  these  ancient  worshippers  of  the 
sun  and  the  moon  were  accustomed  to  make  contracts  in  the 
presence  of  their  gods,  and  to  invoke  their  aid  by  means  of 
animal  sacrifices.  According  to  a  human  rite  clearly  un- 
derstood by  Abram,  Jehovah  entered  into  a  contract  with 
the  patriarch.  The  favor  granted  was  all  on  the  divine  side. 
Abram  stood  as  the  recipient  of  great  gifts  promised,  but  the 
Lord  condescended  to  ratify  Abram's  title  to  the  land  by  a 
formal  contract.  The  boundaries  of  the  future  home  were 
clearly  specified.  *'  Unto  thy  seed  have  I  given  this  land, 
from  the  river  of  Egypt  unto  the  great  river,  the  river  Eu- 
phrates : 

The  Kenites  and  the  Kenizzites  and  the  Kadmonites, 
And  the  Hittites  and  the  Perizzites  and  the  Rephaims, 
And  the  Amorites  and  the  Canaanites  and  Girgashites  and 
the  Jebusites."  J 

So  ran  the  terms  of  the  agreement  with  reference  to  God's 
gift.  To  impress  upon  Abram  the  part  which  he  must  bear 
in  this  contract,  just  as  the  sun  was  going  down  upon  the 
sacrifice  which  he  had  prepared  and  guarded  from  the  at- 
tacks of  the  birds  of  prey,  "a  deep  sleep  fell  upon  Abram; 
and  lo!  an  horror  of  great  darkness  fell  upon  him."§  That 
faith  which  Abram  had  already  manifested  must  remain 
steadfast  through  the  darkness  of  coming  trial.  Not  without 
suffering  and  struggling  on  the  part  of  Abram  and  his  seed 
were  they  to  receive  the  promised  inheritance.  "And  he  said 
unto  Abram,  'know  of  a  surety  that  thy  seed  shall  be  a  stran- 

*  Budge:  Babylonian  Life,  pp.  120, 121.    fBudge:  Babylonian  Life,  pp.  121, 122.    |Gen. 
15:  18-21.    ?  Gen.  15:  12. 


138  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


ger  in  a  land  that  is  not  theirs,  and  shall  serve  them;  and  they 
shall  afflict  them  four  hundred  years;  and  also  that  nation 
whom  they  shall  serve  will  I  judge;  and  afterward  shall 
they  come  out  with  great  substance.' "*  A  definite  reason 
for  the  postponement  of  the  time  of  Abram's  complete  pos- 
session of  the  land  is  written  down  in  the  contract.  Abram's 
seed  must  gain  strength  and  substance  by  suffering.  They 
are  not  yet  ready  to  hold  the  land.  Nor  is  the  cup  of  Amo- 
rite  iniquity  yet  full.  The  present  holders  of  the  land  have 
not  yet  run  that  complete  course  of  sin  which  shall  forfeit  their 
right  to  this  territory.  But  when  the  time  of  the  contract 
shall  have  been  extended  to  the  specified  limit,  then  Abram 
shall  have  been  "buried  in  a  good  old  age,"  and  "in  the 
fourth  generation "  his  greatly  multiplied  seed  shall  come 
hither  and  possess  their  estate."! 

Then  followed  the  ceremonial  that  completed  the  covenant 
and  made  it  binding  on  both  parties.  On  such  occasions  it 
was  customary  for  the  contracting  parties  to  walk  between 
the  divided  victims  as  a  symbol  that  they  were  made  one  by 
the  shed  blood.  Abram  was  then  to  walk  between  the 
parts  of  the  sacrifice  for  himself,  but.  Jehovah  sent  an  em- 
blem of  His  power  and  wisdom  to  represent  His  personal 
presence.  "And  it  came  to  pass  that  when  the  sun  went 
down  and  it  was  dark,  behold  a  smoking  furnace  and  a  flam- 
ing torch  that  passed  between  these  pieces. "+ 

In  a  manner  sublime  and  terrible  did  Jehovah  manifest 
His  presence.  It  was  an  act  of  the  deepest  condescension 
that  Jehovah  should  thus  swear  unto  Abram  by  the  blood 
of  this  sacrifice.  It  was  a  revelation  of  the  love  and  mercy  of 
an  infinite  Ruler  who  set  up  this  memorial  of  Himself  as  an 
act  of  defiance  to  the  heathen  gods  who  claimed  the  land 
and  the  people  thereof.  It  was  the  first  link  in  that  great 
chain  of  federal  covenants  with  which  He  bound  Abram 
unto  Himself  forever — covenants  which  He  inaugurated  by 
an  oath  upon  the  blood  of  these  victims  snd  which  He  com- 
pleted when  He  swore  by  His  own  divine  personality. § 

The  Egyptian  Hagar — The  Covenant  of  Circumcision. 

Scarcely  had  the  first  covenant  been  ratified  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  sacrificial  victims  when  Abram  and  Sarai  showed 

*  Gen.  15:  13-14.        +  Gen.  15:16.        t  Gen.  15:17.        g  Gen.  15:16. 


THE  EGYPTIAN  HAGAR.  139 


their  sympathy  with  the  social  standards  of  Egypt  and  Baby- 
lonia. Polygamy  was  a  popular  institution  among  the 
heathen  of  that  day,  as  it  is  now.  The  custom  of  the  peo- 
ple about  her  suggested  to  Sarai  the  expedient  of  giving  her 
handmaid,  Hagar,  unto  Abram  to  be  his  wife — the  same 
custom  suggested  to  Abram  to  follow  Sarai's  wishes. 
Both  were  prompted  by  the  highest  motive — both  thought 
that  they  acted  in  accord  with  the  letter  and  the  spirit  of 
the  covenant  already  made  with  Jehovah.  In  that  solemn 
agreement,  an  heir  was  promised  Abram,  but  it  was  not 
specified  that  Sarai  should  be  his  mother.  Sarai's  advancing 
age  and  the  custom  of  the  people  of  the  land  suggested  to 
her  that  the  handmaid  might  legally  become  the  mother  of 
the  promised  heir.  The  impatience  of  both  Abram  and  Sa- 
rai led  them  to  adopt  a  scheme  of  their  own  devising  in 
order  to  bring  about  the  promises  of  Jehovah.  Ten  years 
had  already  passed  since  their  first  entrance  into  the  land 
of  Canaan,  and  now  they  determined  to  wait  no  longer  for 
the  fulfillment  of  the  long-deferred  promise.  "  And  Sarai, 
Abram's  wife,  took  Hagar  her  maid,  the  Egyptian,  after 
Abram  had  dwelt  ten  years  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  gave 
her  to  her  husband,  Abram,  to  be  his  wife."*  This  imperfect 
faith  in  yielding  to  heathen  custom  brought  its  results  of 
strife  and  hatred  between  Sarai  and  Hagar.  The  maid  no 
doubt  thought  herself  the  favored  one  of  God,  the  future 
mother  of  the  promised  heir.  The  Lord  saw  and  heard 
her  affliction.  He  visited  her  in  the  desert  of  Shur  and 
made  promise  of  a  seed  that  "  shall  not  be  numbered  for 
multitude." t  But  her  pride  was  rebuked  by  the  further 
declarations  of  the  Lord,  which  were  not  in  accord  with  the 
promises  covenanted  with  Abram.  His  seed  should  be  a 
blessing — but  Hagar's  a  curse.  By  that  fountain  of  water 
in  the  wilderness  where  Hagar  sat  desolate  and  exiled,  the 
angel  of  the  Lord,  who  was  the  Son  of  God  Himself,  declared 
that  this  union  of  Abram  with  Hagar  was  outside  of  the 
terms  of  the  covenant.  Ishmael,  her  son,  shall  be  a  "  wild 
ass  among  men;  his  hand  will  be  against  every  man  and 
every  man's  hand  against  him."  J  There  was  no  warrant 
of  blessing  to  all  the  families  of  the  earth  in  such  a  prophecy 
as  that.     In  quiet  submission,  Hagar  returned  to  the  patri- 

*Gen.l6:  3.        tGen.l6:10.        JGen.lG:  12. 


140  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


arch's  home,  and  there  for  thirteen  years  did  Abram  attempt 
to  train  the  wayward  Ishmael.  Then  came  another  vision, 
calling  him  into  closer  covenant  with  the  Lord. 

The  meaning  and  purpose  of  this  second  agreement  were 
indicated  in  God's  declaration  of  Himself  and  His  command 
to  Abram,  "I  am  the  Almighty  God  ;  walk  before  me  and 
be  thou  perfect."  *  All  power  was  claimed  by  the  Lord  in 
the  very  title  with  which  He  announced  himself  to  Abram. 
"  The  Almighty  God  "  was  not  surely  in  need  of  the  help  of 
Abram  in  bringing  the  promises  to  pass.  For  thirteen  years 
the  character  of  Ishmael  had  been  a  burden  on  Abram's 
conscience.  It  had  been,  no  doubt,  for  long,  a  thought  in 
his  mind,  that  the  connection  with  the  Egyptian  had  not 
tended  to  establish  the  reign  of  universal  blessing  foretold 
concerning  his  offspring.  Now  came  a  revelation,  like  a 
clap  of  thunder  out  of  that  dark  cloud  of  anxiety,  declaring 
the  character  of  the  Lord  who  had  entered  into  cove- 
nant with  him,  God  is  able  to  make  good  all  His  prom- 
ises ;  He  is  fully  competent  to  devise  means  to  further 
His  own  purposes.  But  on  Abram  there  rests  the  responsi- 
bility of  a  perfect  walk  and  conversation.  The  heathen-like 
act  of  taking  Hagar  as  his  concubine  has  not  only  been  a 
willful  distrust  of  God's  power  to  keep  His  promise,  but  it 
has  shown  a  defect  in  his  moral  character.  Hitherto,  the 
whole  course  of  God's  revelation  has  tended  to  draw  Abram 
away  from  heathen  gods  unto  Himself.  Now  has  Abram 
taken  a  step  contrary  to  the  current  of  those  revelations. 
He  has  shown  a  temporary  weakness  of  faith,  and  has  at- 
tempted to  bring  a  heathen  custom  into  the  furtherance  of 
God's  plans.  Now  does  God  speak  to  draw  Abram  closer  to 
Himself  in  a  covenant,  the  ratifying  bond  thereof  to  be  cir- 
cumcision. 

As  Abram  lies  on  his  face  and  hears  the  voice  of  God,  the 
terms  of  the  second  covenant  are  made  known  to  him. 
The  former  promises  are  renewed,  and  Abram's  name  is 
changed  to  Abraham  as  a  sign  that  he  shall  be  made  a 
father  of  many  nations."  f  God  declares  that  this  covenant 
is  made  of  His  own  free  gift  to  Abram,  and  he  repeats  the 
promise  that  Abraham  shall  be  a  father  of  kings  and  a  posses- 
sor forever  of  this  land  of  Canaan.     The  terms  of  the  cove- 

•  Gen.  17 :  1.       +  Gen.  17 :  5. 


TEE  EGYPTIAN  HAGAR.  141 


nant  thus  outlined  are  exactly  the  same  with  the  terms 
of  the  first  covenant.  But  then,  over  the  sacrifice  the 
Lord  condescended  to  swear  to  Abraham  to  keep  the  prom- 
ises. Now  is  a  solemn  duty  laid  upon  Abraham  and  his  seed, 
and  the  bond  is  this  time  exacted  from  him.  "And  God 
said  unto  Abraham,  Thou  shalt  keep  my  covenant,  there- 
fore, thou  and  thy  seed  after  thee  in  their  generations. 
This  is  my  covenant,  which  ye  shall  keep  between  me  and 
you,  and  thy  seed  after  thee  ;  every  man-child  among  you 
shall  be  circumcised."* 

The  first  covenant  was  a  solemn  contract,  as  it  were,  in 
which  Jehovah  bound  Himself  after  a  manner  familiar  to 
Abraham.  This  second  covenant  is  a  solemn  contract  in 
which  Abraham  is  told  that  there  are  certain  conditions  to  be 
made  binding  upon  himself,  to  be  symbolized  by  circumci- 
sion. 

There  is  no  adequate  evidence  to  show  that  circumcision 
was  practiced  among  the  Babylonians  or  Egyptians  before 
the  time  of  Abraham.  Herodotus  and  other  Greek  writers 
made  affirmation  that  the  Egyptian  priests  of  their  day 
made  this  ceremony  a  part  of  their  ritual — and  Herodotus 
further  made  some  loose  statements  about  the  antiquity  of 
the  rite  among  the  people  of  the  Nile.  Certain  heirogly- 
phics  on  the  pyramids  are  supposed  by  some  to  represent 
circumcision. t  If  this  be  the  case,  then  Abraham  may  have 
seen  the  rite  during  his  visit  to  Egypt,  and,  therefore,  God 
simply  gave  a  new  meaning  to  an  old  ceremony,  as  in  the 
days  of  Noah,  He  pointed  to  an  existing  phenomenon,  the 
rainbow,  as  the  sign  of  His  new  promise  unto  mankind.  At 
all  events,  circumcision  was  a  ceremonial  part  of  that  cove- 
nant-relationship which  .Jehovah  was  establishing  between 
Himself  and  Abraham.  It  was  intended  as  a  token  of  Abra- 
ham's complete  separation  from  the  heathen  nations  about 
him.  This  separation  must  be  both  physical  and  moral — 
the  body  must  be  a  living  sacrifice  unto  God,  and  the  soul 
must  be  perfect  before  Him.  From  the  covenant  terms  we 
may  easily  draw  the  meaning  of  the  rite:  (1)  Circumcision 
is  the  token  of  complete  physical  and  spiritual  consecra- 
tion to  the  Almighty  God;  for  unto  Abram,  just  after  seek- 
ing alliance  w4th  the  Egyptian,  Jehovah  said,  "I   am  the 

*  Gen.  17:  9, 10.       f  Wilkinson :  Rawlinsoii's  Herodotus,  p.  52. 


142  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Almighty  God;  walk  6e/ore  me  and  be  thou  perfect."*  (2) 
This  covenant  is  to  be  an  everlasting  covenant,  binding  both 
body  and  soul  unto  God."     "  I   will   establish  my  covenant 

to  be  a  God  unto  thee  and  to  thy  seed 

after  thee and  my   covenant   shall 

be  in  your  flesh  for  an  everlasting  covenant. "t  (3)  Circum- 
cision is  to  be  the  badge  of  a  distinct  society  or  nation  of 
people,  isolated  from  all  others  and  devoted  unto  the  Lord: 
'*He  that  is  born  in  thy  house   and  he  that  is   bought  with 

thy  money  must  needs  be  circumcised 

And  the  uncircumcised  man-child  whose  flesh  of  his  fore- 
skin is  not  circumcised,  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  his 
people;  he  hath  broken  my  covenant."  + 

Not  until  this  divine  scheme  had  been  unfolded  to  Abra- 
ham was  he  told  that  Sarai  should  be  a  party  to  the  covenant, 
the  mother  of  the  promised  heir.  "And  I  will  bless  her 
and  give  thee  a  son  also  of  her;  and  she  shall  be  a  mother 
of  nations;  kings  of  people  shall  be  of  her."  §  In  token  of 
this  future  royal  lineage,  Sarai's  name  was  changed  to  Sarah, 
from  the  Assyrian  sarrat — "princess."  At  this  disclosure, 
Abraham  was  carried  beyond  himself  with  astonishment, 
and  "befell  upon  his  face  and  laughed  and  said  in  his 
heart,  'Shall  a  child  be  born  unto  him  that  is  an  hundred 
years  old?'||  But  his  joyous  wonder  was  changed  in  a  mo- 
ment to  grief,  for  he  cried  aloud  concerning  the  exclusion  of 
his  wayward  boy,  Ishmael,  "0,  that  Ishmael  might  live  before 
thee."^  Then  the  Lord  declared  His  gracious  purpose  to 
continue  the  covenant  with  his  unborn  son,  Isaac,  and  with 
his  seed  after  him.  Nor  did  he  forget  the  promise  made  to 
Hagar  of  a  numerous  off"spring,  for  in  answer  to  Abra- 
ham's cry,  the  Lord  said,  "As  for  Ishmael,  I  have  heard  thee; 
behold,  I  have  blessed  him  and  will  make  him  fruitful  and 
will  multiply  him  exceedingly;  twelve  princes  shall  he  beget, 
and  I  will  make  him  a  great  nation."**  Then  Abraham  arose 
and  ratified  this  great  covenant  by  the  circumcision  of  him- 
self and  of  every  male  among  the  men  of  his  house.  The 
ceremony  was  a  solemn  dedication  of  his  household  unto 
God;  and  very  fitly  was  Ishmael  included  therein.  After- 
wards he  cut  himself  off,  keeping  up  the  rite  of  circumcis- 

♦  Gen.  17:1.    +  Gen.  17:  7,  13.      J  Gen.  17:  13, 14.    §  Gen.  17:16.    ||Gen.  17:17.    IT  Gen. 
17:  18.    **Gen.l7:  20. 


SODOMITES  AND  PHILISTINES.  143 


ion,  but  losing  the  spiritual  meaning  thereof,  and  thus  casting 
away  all  his  spiritual  privileges  as  a  member  of  Abraham's 
household.  Henceforth,  Abraham  was  committed  to  a  divine 
policy  in  all  things.  His  human  method  of  bringing  to  pass 
God's  promises  had  been  discountenanced  and  miraculous 
means  were  foreshadowed.  The  laughing  astonishment  of 
Abraham  when  God  announced  so  wonderful  a  fulfillment  of 
promise,  was  referred  to  by  our  Lord  Himself  as  the  expres- 
sion of  wonder  and  joy:  "  Your  father,  Abraham,  rejoiced  to 
see  my  day,  and  he  saw  it  and  was  glad."*  The  Apostle  Paul 
lays  special  emphasis  upon  this  great  advance  in  Abraham's 
faith  when  he  cut  loose  from  things  seen  and  cast  himself  com- 
pletely upon  the  operation  of  things  unseen:  "Without  being 
weakened  in  faith,  he  regarded  not  his  own  body  now  as  good 
as  dead  (he  being  about  a  hundred  years  old),  and  the  dead- 
ness  of  Sarah's  womb;  but  looking  at  the  promise  of  God, 
he  wavered  not  through  unbelief,  but  waxed  strong  through 
faith,  giving  glory  to  God,  and  being  fully  assured  that  what 
He  had  promised,  He  was  able  also  to  perform.  Therefore, 
it  was  imputed  to  him  for  righteousness. "f 

Sodomites  and  Philistines — The  Covenant  of  the  Oath. 

{Genesh  18-22.) 

Abraham  was  now  the  sworn  liege-man  of  Almighty  God. 
The  invisible  King  of  Heaven  had  made  use  of  visible  signs 
in  completing  the  covenant  between  Himself  and  His  chosen 
creature.  Now  was  Abraham  plunged  into  the  midst  of  a 
furnace  of  fire  in  order  that  his  allegiance  might  be  tried, 
even  as  the  character  of  gold  is  tried.  The  fire  which  God 
used  in  testing  the  character  of  His  servant  was  a  heathen 
flame.  Heathen  customs  and  religious  rites  were  burning 
at  a  fierce  heat  all  about  the  home  of  Abraham.  Into  close 
contact  with  these  was  he  brought,  but  he  bore  the  test  un- 
scathed and  proved  himself  the  man  of  faith.  Let  us  glance 
at  the  incidents  connected  with  this  fiery  ordeal. 

The  tent  of  the  patriarch  was  pitched  in  the  midst  of  that 
same  oak-grove  of  Mamre,  where  close  communion  with 
God  had  already  taken  place.  Here  was  the  scene  of  the 
clearest  revelation  of  Himself  thus  far  made  by  Jehovah  unto 
Abraham.     In  visions   had   His   word   previously  come  to 

*  John  8 :  56.        f  Romans  4  :  19-22. 


144  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Abraham.  Now  appeared  an  angelic-human  Person  who- 
spoke  with  the  authority  of  God  Himself.  From  his  tent- 
door  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  Abraham  lifted  up  his  eyes  and 
saw  three  men  approaching.  With  eastern  hospitality  h& 
offered  them  water  and  food.  As  they  ate  beneath  the  shade 
of  the  trees,  one  of  these  three  men  distinctly  claimed  to  be 
Jehovah  Himself,  in  asserting  that  Sarah  should  bear  a  son. 
Then  departed  the  three  men,  but  Abraham  walked  with 
them,  until  the  fate  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  was  revealed 
to  him  by  one  of  these  men  speaking  as  Jehovah.  In  the 
presence  of  Jehovah,  manifested  in  this  human  form,  Abra- 
ham stood  and  pleaded  for  Sodom.  The  promise  of  mercy 
was  extended  to  Sodom  on  condition  that  ten  righteous  men 
be  found  therein.  Meanwhile,  as  the  patriarch  interceded 
for  the  city  and  home  of  his  nephew.  Lot,  two  angels  appeared 
at  Sodom's  gate  at  the  evening  hour  and  were  entertained 
by  Lot.  These  two  angels  were  evidently  two  of  the  three 
men  who  had  appeared  unto  Abraham  at  midday,  and  who 
left  him  in  conversation  with  the  Lord.  The  third  man  or 
angel  who  tarried,  behind  on  the  hilltop  overlooking  the  Jor- 
dan valley  and  made  known  Himself  and  His  plans  to  Abra- 
ham was  very  probably  Jehovah,  the  Son  of  God,  the  Re- 
vealer  of  the  Godhead. 

What  an  impressive  object-lesson  was  spread  out  before 
the  patriarch  as  he  stood  before  the  living  God.  The  sen- 
tence of  death  passed  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  because 
their  sin  was  grievous  ;  a  spiritural  cause  for  temporal  de- 
struction ;  the  visible  and  the  invisible  worlds  governed  by 
a  divine  being  who  can  appear  in  visible  form  to  speak 
the  invisible  will  of  heaven.  Never  in  all  his  life  was 
there  a  time  when  the  meaning  of  righteousness  could  have 
been  more  effectually  stamped  upon  Abraham's  mind  and 
heart. 

The  people  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  were  members  of  the 
Canaanite  tribes  then  established  in  the  land.  Their  chief 
deity  seems  to  have  been  the  Babylonian  Istar.  Reference 
has  already  been  made  to  Chedorlaomer's  first  battle  in  the 
vale  of  Siddim  at  "Ashtoreth  of  the  two  horns."  Around 
the  temple  of  this  goddess,  represented  by  a  horned  figure, 
the  profligate  dwellers  in  the  lower  Jordan  valley  made  a 
stand.      The  story  of  the  destruction  of  the  cities   of  the 


SODOMITES  AND  PHILISTINES.  145 


plain  by  fire  from  heaven,  reveals  the  moral  degradation  of 
the   devotees  of  the   whole  Babylonian  creed — the  leprosy 
of  moral  and  spiritual  iniquity  that  had  eaten  its  way  into 
the  souls  of  an  entire  people,  so  that  the  only  purification 
possible  had  to  be  effected  by  fire.     This  statement  made  to 
Abraham  by  the  divine  messenger  was  a  volume  of  revela- 
tion in   itself.     Then   the   indignity   offered  to  the  angelic 
guests  of  Lot ;  the  deterioration  of  character  in  Lot,  and  in  his 
wife  and  daughters,  were  other  flashes  of  light  showing  to 
Abraham  the  moral  danger  of  heathenism.     The  subsequent 
development  of  this  creed  of  Istar  in  the  Phcenician  orgies 
connected    with  the  worship  of  Astarte   was   not    seen   by 
Abraham,  but  even  these  could  scarcely  have  produced  the 
shock  upon  the  patriarch's  feelings  which  he  did  experience 
at  the  incestuous  origin  of  the  Ammonites  and  Moabites. 
Most  probably  the  cities  of  the  plain  were  already  worship- 
ping the  Babylonian  Bel  or  Baal.     Perhaps  they  were  offer- 
ing human  sacrifices  to  this  god,  for  he  soon  became  the  pa- 
tron deity  of  the  Ammonites  under  the  name  of  Moloch,  and 
of  the  Moabites  and   Midianites   under  the  titles  of  Baal- 
Peor,  and  of  Chemosh.     The  Moabite   stone,  inscribed  by 
King  Mesha  about  900  B.  C,  claims  Chemosh  as  the  national 
deity   of  Moab.     To   Ashtar-Chemosh,    King   Mesha   "  de- 
voted"  the  captured  women  of  Nebo.*     This  was  the  same 
god  to  whom  Mesha  offered  his  own  son  in  sacrifice.     Per- 
haps the  beginnings  of  this  horrible  ritual  were  to  be  seen  in 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah.     The  moral  revulsion  that  swept  over 
the   spirit  of  Abraham  was  exactly  the  impression  which 
God's  prophets  sought  later  to  convey  when  they  spoke  con- 
cerning heathen  creeds.     In  the  very  beginning  of  his  rev- 
elations to  a  chosen  race,  the  clearest  spiritual  lesson  was 
taught  to  Abraham  by  means  of  heathen  immorality  and 
heavenly  fire. 

In  thoughtful  mood,  Abraham  betook  himself  southward 
and  pitched  his  tents  among  another  tribe  of  Canaanites, 
the  Philistines.  Egyptian  manners  seem  to  have  been  in 
vogue  in  these  grassy  plains  of  the  South,  and  the  patriarch 
dropped  into  the  sin  which  he  had  committed  during  his 
journey  to  the  court  of  Pharaoh.  The  Lord  intervened 
again  with  miraculous  power  to  save  Sarah  from  the  Philis- 

*FreshLiglit,p.  74. 

10 


146  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


tine  prince,  Abimelech.  As  he  turned  away,  laden  with 
the  gifts  of  the  shepherd  prince,  Abraham  must  have  felt 
the  goodness  of  God  in  bringing  happy  results  out  of  his 
mistakes.  In  this  south  country,  when  Abraham  had 
reached  the  age  of  one  hundred  years,  Isaac  was  born  to 
Sarah.  More  than  ever  before  Abraham  seemed  to  recognize 
the  bonds  of  his  heavenly  allegiance.  At  God's  command 
he  dismissed  Hagar  and  Ishmael,  and  accepted  Isaac  as  the 
covenant  child.  With  the  Egyptian  woman  went  a  goodly 
number  of  Abraham's  mistaken  views.  He  dwelt  now  in 
quietness  at  Beersheba,  protected  in  his  possession  of  the 
pasture  lands  and  the  well  of  water  by  the  oath  of  Abime- 
lech. In  the  shelter  of  a  tamarisk  tree  of  his  own  planting, 
he  rested  in  the  protecting  power  of  *'  Jehovah,  the  God  of 
■eternity."*  The  covenant  had  brought  him  into  close  per- 
sonal relationship  with  the  Lord.  Twice  had  he  made  in- 
tercession to  save  Sodom  and  to  save  Abimelech.  God's 
justice  and  God's  mercy  were  unfolded  to  him  against  the 
wide  background  of  God's  holiness.  The  faithfulness  of 
God  was  likewise  a  growing  truth  as  Abraham  watched  the 
increasing  stature  and  intelligence  of  his  son  Isaac.  In 
connection  with  this  heir  of  the  divine  promises  came  the 
final  test  of  Abraham's  faith.  ''  It  came  to  pass  after  these 
things,  God,  testing  Abraham,  said  unto  him  :  Abraham  ! 
And  he  said,  Behold,  here  I  am.  He  said  :  Take  thy  son, 
thine  only  one  whom  thou  lovest,  Isaac,  and  go  to  the  land 
of  Moriah,  and  offer  him  there  as  a  burnt-offering  upon  one 
of  the  mountains  that  I  will  tell  thee."  \ 

Perhaps  the  Canaanites  had  already  begun  to  offer  human 
sacrifices  as  they  did  afterwards  to  Ishtar-Chemosh  and  to  Mo- 
loch. The  altars  in  Sodom  may  have  been  disgraced  even 
in  Lot's  day  with  the  blood  of  human  victims.  Or,  at  least, 
the  cruel  orgies  connected  with  the  Babylonian  creed  as 
practiced  by  these  Hamitic  cities  of  the  plain,  may  have 
presented  a  religious  devotion  which  seemed  stronger  than 
Abraham's  devotion  to  his  God.  The  strength  of  the  patri- 
arch's devotion  was  to  be  tested.  Abraham's  obedience  to 
Jehovah  must  be  more  implicit  than  the  obedience  of  the 
idolater  to  the  supposed  wishes  of  his  god.  A  command 
came  to  Abraham   from   God.     The    command    itself  was 

*  Gen.  21:  33.        +  Gen.  22:  1.2. 


SODOMITES  AND  PHILISTINES.  147 


counter  to  his  own  wishes  and  counter  to  God's  previous 
teaching  that  he  must  not  imitate  heathen  morals  and  reli- 
gious customs.  But  the  speaker  of  the  command  was  God, 
and  obedience  was  his  first  duty.  Abraham  had  accepted 
Jehovah  as  his  absolute  ruler,  and  hence  Jehovah's  com- 
mand was  the  law  of  life  to  him.  With  unquestioning  speed, 
the  patriarch  obeyed.  Early  the  next  morning  he  began  his 
journey  northward  from  Beersheba  to  Mount  Moriah,  on 
whose  summit  the  Temple  of  Solomon  was  afterwards 
builded.  The  third  day  brought  Abraham  and  his  son  near 
to  the  place  of  sacrifice.  The  attendants  were  dismissed, 
and  father  and  son  alone  climbed  upward  to  the  hilltop. 
The  love  of  the  father  was  undiminished.  "  Then  Isaac 
spake  to  Abraham,  his  father,  and  said:  My  father  !  and  he 
said.  Here  am  I,  my  son;  and  he  said.  Behold  the  fire  and 
the  wood ;  but  where  is  the  lamb  for  the  burnt-offering  ? 
Abraham  said,  God  will  provide  Himself  the  lamb  for  the 
burnt-offering,  and  they  went  both  together."*  Every  step 
taken  by  the  patriarch  upon  that  upward  journey  was  a  step 
of  victory.  The  darkest  cloud  that  had  yet  appeared  in  his 
career  now  seemed  to  be  settling  down  upon  his  beloved  son 
and  upon  his  hopes  for  the  future.  But  behind  the  cloud 
was  Jehovah,  who  said  unto  him,  Go,  and  Abraham  went. 
His  faith  was  strong  enough  to  change  that  which  seemed 
darkness  into  light.  There  was  absolute  confidence  in  his 
heart  where  there  might  have  been  despair.  "  And  they 
came  to  the  place  which  God  had  told  him,  and  Abraham 
built  there  the  altar,  and  laid  the  wood  in  order,  and  bound 
Isaac,  his  son,  and  laid  him  on  the  altar  upon  the  wood. 
And  Abraham  stretched  out  his  hand  and  took  the  knife  to 
slay  his  son."t 

The  man's  uplifted  arm  was  the  sign  that  his  faith  had 
pressed  forward  to  the  last  act  of  blind  obedience.  In  Abra- 
ham's purpose  the  sacrifice  was  completed  and  his  own  hu- 
man love  and  human  hope  were  already  offered  up  to  the 
obedience  which  he  owed  to  his  God.  "  Then  the  angel  of 
Jehovah  called  to  him  from  heaven,  and  said:  ''  Abraham, 
Abraham!  And  he  said,  Here  am  I.  And  he  said.  Stretch 
not  out  thy  hand  against  the  lad,  and  do  nothing  to  him, 

*  Gen.  22:7,8.        +  Gen.  22:  9,10. 


148  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


for  now  I  knoiu  that  thou  fearest  God  and  hast  not  withheld 
thy  son,  thy  only  one  from  me." 

"  And  Abraham  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  saw,  and  behold  a 
ram  in  the  rear  had  entangled  itself  in  the  thicket  with  its 
horns;  then  Abraham  went  and  took  the  ram  and  offered 
him  as  a  burnt-offering  in  the  place  of  his  son."*  Thus  did 
Jehovah  set  the  seal  of  his  disapproval  upon  the  practice  of 
sacrificing  human  beings.  Service  and  not  the  sacrifice 
of  human  "life  does  He  require.  Moreover,  the  distinction 
of  meaning  between  God  the  Creator  and  God  the  Re- 
deemer was  made  in  the  names  under  which  He  appeared 
here  to  Abraham.  Elohim,  the  Creator,  tested  him  by  giv- 
ing the  command  to  sacrifice  his  son;  but  Jehovah,  the  Re- 
vealer  and  Redeemer,  caused  him  to  stay  the  hand,  These  are 
names  of  one  and  the  same  godhead,  but  they  disclose  two 
parts  of  His  divine  character.  It  was  Jehovah,  the  Re- 
deemer, who  now  entered  into  the  final  act  of  the  great  cov- 
enant with  His  servant.  "  And  the  angel  of  Jehovah  called 
to  Abraham  a  second  time  from  heaven,  and  said:  By  myself 
have  I  sworn,  saith  Jehovah,  that  because  thou  hast  done  this 
and  not  withheld  thy  son,  thine  only  one — that  I  will  bless, 
yea  bless  thee,  and  increase,  yea  increase  thy  posterity  like 
the  stars  of  heaven  and  like  the  sand  which  is  on  the  sea- 
shore ;  and  thy  seed  shall  take  possession  of  the  gate  of  their 
enemies:  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
be  blessed,  because  thou  hast  obeyed  my  voice." \  Upon  what 
a  lofty  plane  was  Abraham  here  elevated.  The  great  promise 
which  was  at  first  declared  to  be  God's  gift  was  now  declared 
to  be  the  spoil  won  by  Abraham's  faith.  The  promises  were 
doubly  his.  He  stood  here  as  the  greatest  victor  of  all 
time,  with  the  single  exception  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Upon  this  mountain-top  of  faith  which  Abraham  named, 
"  Jehovah  Sees,"  the  patriarch  first  conquered  himself 
in  offering  Isaac.  Then  he  further  won  Isaac  back  again 
as  the  progenitor  of  an  offspring  countless  as  the  stars  of 
heaven,  or  as  the  sands  upon  the  sea-shore.  He  won  Isaac 
back  as  the  father  of  a  future  race  of  victors,  whose  faith 
shall  give  them  the  gate  of  their  enemies,  and  moreover 
bring  a  blessing  upon  all  the  nations  of  the  earth.  But  be- 
yond all  these  things,  Abraham  won  the  covenant  of  the 

*  Gen.  22:  n,  12,13.        f  Gen.  22:  15-18. 


SODOMITES  AND  PHILISTINES.  149 


oath.  Hitherto  had  God  promised  and  had  symbolized  His 
truthfulness  according  to  a  human  method,  but  now  He 
swore  by  Himself.  The  covenant  was  complete  and  the  prom- 
ises were  bound  unto  Abraham  b}'  the  very  nature  of  God 
Himself.  As  the  writer  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  de- 
clares :  "  When  God  made  promise  to  Abraham,  because  He 
could  swear  by  no  greater,  He  swore  by  Himself. 

.  For  men  verily  swear  by  the  greater:  and  an  oath 
for  confirmation  is  to  them  an  end  of  all  strife.  Wherein 
God,  willing  more  abundantly  to  show  unto  the  heirs  of 
promise  the  immutability  of  His  counsel,  confirmed  it  by  an 
oath.  That  by  two  immutable  things  [His  word  and  His 
oath]  in  which  it  was  impossible  for  God  to  lie,  we  might 
have  a  strong  consolation  who  have  fled  for  refuge  to  lay 
hold  upon  the  hope  set  before  us."* 

Human  faith  can  be  lifted  to  no  higher  pinnacle  than  that 
upon  which  Abraham  stood.  Out  of  the  toils  of  hostile 
heathenism  he  was  lifted  up  until  he  was  face  to  face  with 
Jehovah — until  his  obedience  was  reckoned  as  something 
divine.  Unto  such  faith  Jehovah  was  willing  to  bind  His 
own  nature  by  an  oath.  The  divine  Spirit  had,  in  fact, 
passed  into  Abraham,  and  had  enabled  him  to  show  a 
love  for  God  greater  than  his  love  for  himself.  In  the 
purpose  which  he  had  of  offering  his  son,  Abraham  be- 
came a  symbol  of  the  Father  himself,  "  who  spared  not  His 
own  son,  but  freely  gave  Him  up  for  us  all."  f  The  son 
Isaac,  whom  he  won,  was  the  type  of  a  victory  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  whole  human  race.  Isaac's  sacrifice  typified  the 
death  and  resurrection  of  our  Lord.  As  Paul  said  :  "Now 
to  Abraham  and  his  seed  were  the  promises  made.  He 
saith  not,  And  to  seed,  as  of  many  ;  but  as  of  one,  'And  to 
thy  seed,'  which  is  Christ."  I  For  himself  and  for  all  believers, 
in  all  time  to  come,  had  Abraham  won  heaven  and  God. 
Upon  that  mountain  was  the  divine  oath  sealed  to  him,  and 
the  covenant  was  established  forever.  The  author  of  the 
Book  of  Genesis  has  left  us  only  one  or  two  glimpses  of  the 
patriarch's  life  after  that  great  transaction.  In  the  retire- 
ment of  Hebron,  in  the  midst  of  his  family  and  his  flocks, 
we  see  him  passing  on  down  to  his  earthly  limit  of  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  years.     He  bends  in  tender  grief 

*  Heb.  6 :  13, 16-18.       +Rom.  8 :  32.       J  Gal.  3 :  16. 


150  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


over  the  tomb  of  Sarah.  He  buys  the  cave  of  Machpelah 
as  the  burial-place  for  all  his  dead.  He  perhaps  makes  a 
mistake  in  marrying  Keturah,  but  at  least  her  descendants 
are  the  sons  of  peace.  He  takes  care  about  the  marriage  of 
his  son  Isaac,  attends  to  the  disposition  of  his  property 
among  his  long  line  of  heirs,  and  then  lies  down  in  peace 
to  sleep  with  his  fathers.  But  his  work  was  finished  on 
Mt.  Moriah.  As  the  friend  of  God  he  stood  there,  and  will 
stand  for  all  coming  ages. 


THE  MARRIAGE  OF  ISAAC.  151 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Chosen  Race  Kept  Pure. 

[Genesis  25:  11  ;  50:  26.] 

WHEN  Abraham  gave  up  the  ghost  and  was  gathered  to  his 
fathers,  Isaac  was  already  seventy-five  years  of  age. 
Since  Esau  and  Jacob  were  born  when  Isaac  was  sixty,  these 
two  grandsons  were  fifteen  when  the  patriarch  passed  away  to 
receive  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise  in  another  world.  Yet, 
ere  he  died,  Abraham  saw  the  character  of  Jacob  unfolded 
along  the  line  of  his  future  career  as  the  heir  of  the  covenant. 
Let  us  recall  Abraham's  tender  care  in  the  selection  of 
Isaac's  wife  Rebekah,  and  his  probable  part  in  making 
known  to  Rebekah  the  will  of  the  Lord  concerning  her  two 
sons. 

The  Marriage  of  Isaac. 

After  Jehovah  had  tested  the  faith  of  Abraham  by  the 
command  to  off"er  up  Isaac  as  a  burnt-offering,  the  young 
man  had  continued  to  dwell  in  his  father's  tent  and  among 
his  father's  flocks  at  Beersheba.  Under  the  shelter  of  his 
father's  stronger  character,  and  in  close  contact  with  the 
imperious  Sarah,  his  mother,  did  Isaac  spend  these  years  of 
early  manhood.  Of  retiring,  contemplative  disposition,  his 
grief  was  naturally  keen  when  he  lost  his  mother's  wise  care. 
From  the  age  of  thirty-seven  until  that  of  forty,  Isaac  was  be- 
reft of  female  companionship.  Then  Abraham  bestirred 
himself  to  find  for  Isaac  a  wife  of  his  own  race.  According 
to  Eastern  custom,  he  caused  his  servant,  Eliezer,  of  Damas- 
cus, perhaps,  to  place  his  hand  beneath  his  thigh  and  swear 
"by  the  Lord,  the  God  of  heaven  and  the  God  of  the  earth, 
that  thou  shalt  not  take  a  wife  unto  my  son  of  the  daugh- 
ters of  the  Canaanites  among  whom  I  dwell.  But  thou 
shalt  go  unto  my  country  and  to  my  kindred  and  take  a 
wife  unto  my  son  Isaac."  *     In  addition  to  this  oath  that 

*  Gen.  24:  3,4. 


152  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


the  wife  of  Isaac  must  be  of  Abraham's  own  house,  he 
further  made  condition  that  Isaac  himself  should  not  return 
to  Haran  where  his  kindred  dwelt.  Out  of  the  land  of 
promise,  Isaac  must  not  depart.  The  servant  was  told  that 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  would  go  before  to  give  success  to  the 
mission.  As  he  drew  near  to  the  city  of  Nahor,  in  Mesopo- 
tamia, this  servant  appealed  to  Jehovah  for  assistance  in  the 
selection  of  Isaac's  future  wife.  It  was  the  Lord  who  pros- 
pered Eliezer's  suit  for  the  hand  of  Rebekah,  the  daughter  of 
Bethuel  and  the  granddaughter  of  Nahor.  The  latter  was 
elder  brother  of  Abraham,  and  hence  the  young  people, 
Isaac  and  Rebekah,  were  first  cousins  once  removed.  The 
maiden  seemed  to  recognize  the  will  of  God  in  the  offer  of 
marriage  and  willingl}^  came  to  be  the  wife  of  Isaac.  It  was 
evening  twilight  at  Hebron  when  Isaac  saw  Rebekah  ap- 
proaching. He  led  her  to  his  mother's  tent,  and  from  that 
time  was  comforted  from  the  grief  occasioned  by  Sarah's 
death.  Rebekah's  active  and  ardent  nature  furnished  a 
fitting  supplement  to  the  non-assertive  character  of  Isaac. 
For  many  years  they  dwelt  quietly  in  the  south  country  by 
the  well  Lahai-roi. 

The  Birth  of  Esau  and  Jacob. 

Few  and  unimportant  were  the  events  that  made  up  the 
life  of  Isaac.  In  the  land  of  the  Philistines  the  experience 
of  Abraham  was  repeated  in  his  son's  career.  Divine  power 
interfered  to  save  Rebekah  even  as  Sarah  was  formerly  pre- 
served. A  quarrel  arose  about  the  self-same  wells  that 
Abraham  had  digged,  and  a  new  covenant  was  ratified 
between  Isaac  and  Abimelech.  But  meanwhile  the  faith  of 
Rebekah  was  put  to  the  severest  test.  The  barrenness  of 
Sarah  and  her  longing  for  a  child  were  repeated  in  the  life 
of  Rebekah.  For  twenty  years  she  waited,  until  both  Isaac 
and  Rebekah  were  led  to  see  that  the  promised  heir  must 
be  God's  gift.  Just  as  Jehovah  interposed  to  give  Isaac 
unto  Sarah,  so  must  He  be  the  Giver  of  a  son  unto  Re- 
bekah. "  Isaac  intreated  the  Lord  for  his  wife,  be- 
cause she  was  barren."*  The  Lord  heard  the  prayer  of 
Isaac,  and  also  He  revealed  unto  Rebekah  that  she 
should  bear  two  sons  and  that  "  the  elder  shall  serve  the 

*  Gen.  25:  21. 


JACOB'S  FAMILY  PRIDE.  153 


younger."*  How  this  communication  was  made  to  Rebekah 
we  are  not  told.  "She  went  to  inquire  of  the  Lord,"  f  and 
it  seems  natural  to  suppose  that  she  made  this  inquiry 
through  Abraham,  the  priest  of  his  own  tribe.  As  in  for- 
mer days,  the  Lord  may  have  appeared  to  the  patriarch 
now  to  mark  out  the  relative  destiny  of  the  two  grandsons 
of  Abraham  and  Sarah.  Even  before  their  birth,  the  Lord's 
will  marked  out  the  younger  as  the  bearer  of  the  sceptre 
over  his  elder  brother.  Abraham  watched  over  their  grow- 
ing years  and  saw  the  character  of  Esau  developing  as  a 
man  of  the  field,  skilled  in  hunting,  while  Jacob  inherited 
the  simple  tastes  of  Abraham  and  Isaac,  and  remained 
steadfastly  at  home  in  the  tents  or  near  the  flocks.  The 
honor  and  prestige  of  his  father's  family  were  dear  to 
Jacob.  Therefore  was  he  quick  to  offer  the  pottage  to  the 
weary  and  famished  Esau  on  condition  that  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  the  eldest-born  son  of  the  house  should  be 
transferred  to  him.  Perhaps  this  trait  of  selfishness  was 
apparent  in  the  character  of  Jacob  ere  his  grandfather  died. 
Perhaps  Abraham  was  told  by  Jehovah  that  this  youth  who 
set  great  value  on  the  family  history,  who  listened  eagerly 
to  the  story  of  the  divine  promises,  who  watched  over  the 
increase  of  the  family's  herds  and  flocks  while  his  brother 
amused  himself  in  the  chase — that  this  stripling  should  not 
■only  bear  temporal  rule  over  the  elder  brother,  but  should 
likewise  hand  down  in  his  own  line  the  promises  already 
made  unto  Abraham's  seed. 

Jacob's  Family  Pride. 

Pride  of  race  was  the  basis  of  Jacob's  natural  character.  As 
a  controllinginstinct,  it  blinded  his  early  years  to  proper  views 
of  justice  and  truth.  Sanctified  by  the  power  of  God's 
Spirit,  it  rendered  him  in  later  years  the  exemplary  tribal 
chieftain  of  the  twelve  divisions  of  God's  chosen  family. 
That  elevation  of  spirit  which  Abraham  naturally  experi- 
enced in  being  made  the  instrument  of  divine  revelation, 
now  became  in  Jacob  the  leading  characteristic.  Hence 
was  Jacob  led  to  commit  some  of  the  mistakes  that  marked 
the  life  of  Abraham  and  of  Isaac.  We  have  seen  how  these 
two   patriarchs  attempted  to  take  into  their  own  hands  the 

*Gen.  25:  23.        +Gen.  25:  22. 


154  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


furthering  of  God's  plans  and  how  they  were  rebuked. 
Each  of  them  used  deception^ to  save  his  wife  from  dis- 
honor, and  in  each  case  God  intervened  to  show  that  He 
was  caring  for  the  purity  of  these  two  mothers  of  the  chosen 
race.  In  like  manner  did  Jacob  fall  into  the  error  of  at- 
tempting to  do  God's  work  for  Him. 

Unto  Rebekah  the  clear  statement  had  been  made  by  Je- 
hovah that  the  younger  of  her  two  sons  should  rule  the 
elder.  Jacob  was  clearly  the  heir  of  the  covenant  according 
to  this  specific  utterance  of  Jehovah's  will.  Perhaps  the 
knowledge  of  this  prophecy  led  Jacob  to  be  a  close  dweller 
in  the  home-tent.  By  anticipation  he  felt  the  weight  of  the 
family  name  resting  upon  him.  He  therefore  seized  the  first 
opportunity  to  extort  from  Esau  a  formal  renunciation  of  all 
rights  and  privileges  belonging  to  the  first-born.  They  al- 
ready belonged  .to  Jacob  by  virtue  of  the  revelation  made  to 
his  mother — but  this  quiet  yet  enthusiastic  guardian  of  the 
family  hearth  now  showed  a  selfish  spirit  in  demanding  the 
rights  of  the  first-born  in  exchange  for  a  mess  of  pottage. 
His  zeal  for  the  family  name  led  him  into  positive  sin.  The 
position  of  tribal  chieftain — of  patriarch  of  God's  chosen 
family — which  was  intended  for  him  as  God's  gift,  to  be 
bestowed  in  God's  own  way  and  in  His  own  time,  this  was 
now  eagerly  snatched  by  Jacob  from  the  dull  and  sensuous 
Esau  as  a  mere  matter  of  barter  and  sale.  In  the  minds  of 
both  Jacob  and  Esau,  the  Jehovah  of  their  fathers  had  yet  a 
small  place.  Esau  was  indifferent  to  the  birthright  and  Ja- 
cob was  indifferent  to  the  authority  and  power  of  Jehovah 
concerning  this  affair.  Jacob  had  yet  to  learn  that  it  was  the 
headship  of  God's  family  to  which  he  was  called,  and  that  he 
must  act  in  strict  submission  to  God's  will. 

It  was  this  same  family  pride  that  led  Jacob  to  use  deceit 
and  falsehood  in  obtaining  Isaac's  blessing.  Whether  con- 
sciously or  unconsciously,  Isaac  was  clearly  in  the  wrong 
when  he  desired  to  give  the  benediction  of  tribal  headship 
to  Esau.  He  knew  God's  previous  choice  of  Jacob  for  this 
position  and  all  the  attendant  blessings.  His  haste  and 
anxiety  in  the  whole  transaction  is  apparent.  Did  his  con- 
science smite  him  ?  Perhaps  it  did.  At  any  rate,  the  con- 
science of  Jacob  and  of  his  mother,  Rebekah,  were  not  strong 
enough  to  prevent  deception,  nor  was  Jacob  kept  back  from 


JACOB'S  FAMILY  PRIDE.  155 


invoking  the  name  of  Jehovah  upon  his  false  oath.  "And 
Jacob  said  unto  his  father,  I  am  Esau  thy  first-born;  I  have 
done  according  as  thou  badest  me:  arise,  I  pray  thee,  sit  and 
eat  of  my  venison,  that  thy  soul  may  bless  me.  And  Isaac 
said  unto  his  son.  How  is  it  that  thou  hast  found  it  so 
quickly,  my  son  f  And  he  said.  Because  the  Lord  thy  God 
brought  it  to  me."*  How  wonderful  a  change  seemed  to  come 
over  the  parties  engaged  in  this  transaction  when  Jacob  called 
upon  the  name  of  the  God  of  his  fathers.  Absolutely  erro- 
neous were  his  views  concerning  Jehovah.  Nevertheless,  the 
divine  touch  seemed  to  open  the  eyes  of  Jacob  and  of  Isaac. 
"  And  Isaac  called  Jacob  and  blessed  him  and  charged  him, 
and  said  unto  him.  Thou  shalt  not  take  a  luife  of  the  daughters 
of  Canaan.  Arise,  go  to  Padan-aram,  to  the  house  of  Beth- 
uel,  thy  mother's  father,  and  take  thee  a  wife  of  the  daugh- 
ters of  Laban,  thy  mother's  brother.  And  God  Almighty 
bless  thee,  and  make  thee  fruitful  and  multiply  thee,  .  . 
.  .  .  and  give  thee  the  blessing  of  Abraham,  to  thee  and 
thy  seed  with  thee  ;  that  thou  mayest  inherit  the  land 
wherein  thou  art  a  stranger,  which  God  gave  unto  Abra- 
ham."! After  receiving  this  blessing,  Jacob  hurried  away. 
The  anger  of  his  brother  Esau  was  threatening.  Rebekah 
supposed  that  a  few  months  would  heal  the  quarrel  and  that 
Jacob  might  return  with  a  wife  from  Padan-aram  and  at 
once  be  recognized  as  the  successor  of  Abraham  and  of  Isaac. 
But  Jehovah  had  a  long  course  of  training  marked  out  for 
Jacob.  As  the  young  man  lay  down  to  rest  from  his  jour- 
ney at  Bethel,  he  was  inducted  through  the  gateway  of  a 
dream  into  the  presence  of  God  Himself.  In  his  dream, 
Jacob  saw  "a  ladder  set  upon  the  earth,  and  the  top  of  it 
reached  to  heaven;  .and  behold  the  angels  of  God  ascending 
and  descending  on  it.  And  behold,  the  Lord  stood  above  it 
and  said,  I  am  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  thy  father,  and 
the  God  of  Isaac;  the  land  whereon  thou  liest,  to  thee  will  I 
give  it  and  to  thy  seed;  and  thy  seed  shall  be  as  the  dust  of 

the  earth, and  in  thee  and  in  thy  seed 

shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blest.  And,  behold,  I 
am  with  thee  and  will  keep  thee  in  all  places  whither  thou 
goest."^  After  all  his  sharp  practice,  Jacob  found  that  his 
title  to  the  land  rested  not  in  Esau's  surrender  of  his  birthright 

*  Gen.  27 :  19,  20.        t  Gen.  26:  1-A.        X  Gen.  28 :  12, 15. 


156  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


nor  even  in  Isaac's  blessing,  but  in  the  deed  of  gift  from 
Jehovah.  He  found  further  that  the  family  at  whose  head 
he  sought  to  place  himself  is  God's  family.  The  oil  which 
Jacob  poured  upon  his  stone-pillow  at  Bethel,  dedicating  it 
as  a  s3anbol  of  God's  house,  was  the  first  oil  of  consecration 
poured  upon  Jacob's  own  life.  It  was  his  first  sight  of 
things  heavenly;  his  first  glimpse  of  the  God  of  his  fathers. 
Instantly  a  new  career  seemed  to  open  up  before  him.  "And 
Jacob  vowed  a  vow,  saying,  'If  God  will  be  with  me  and 
will  keep  me  in  this  way  that  I  go,  and  will  give  me  bread  to 
eat  and  raiment  to  put  on,  so  that  I  come  again  to  my 
father's  house  in  peace;  then  shall  the  Lord  be  my  God.'  "  * 

From  that  time  forth  Jacob's  life  was  upon  a  higher  plane. 
Chivalry  and  generosity  began  to  find  a  place  in  his  nature. 
Voluntarily  did  he  make  the  proposition  to  Laban  that  he 
would  serve  him  seven  years  for  Rachel.  These  seven  years 
seemed  to  him  but  a  few  days  "  for  the  love  he  had  to  her."t 
At  the  end  of  his  term  of  service  when  Laban  imposed  Leah 
upon  him  instead  of  Rachel,  even  as  Jacob  himself  had  de- 
ceived his  father,  Isaac,  there  was  no  long  complaining,  for 
Jacob  cheerfully  served  another  seven  years  for  the  younger 
daughter.  He  found  greater  joy  now  in  being  the  victim  of 
treachery  than  he  found  in  those  earlier  days  in  practicing 
deception. 

Then  spake  the  angel  of  God  unto  Jacob  in  a  dream,  com- 
manding him  to  return  to  the  land  of  Abraham  and  of  Isaac. 
Another  great  crisis  of  his  spiritual  development  was  at 
hand.  Forty  years  had  passed  since  Jacob  departed  from 
Palestine.  The  anger  of  his  brother  Esau  had  not  yet  been 
appeased.  But  the  goal  of  Jacob's  ambition  was  virtually 
gained.  He  was  the  patriarch  of  an  increasing  family.  He 
was  rich  in  cattle.  God  had  blessed  him  in  giving  him  wives 
from  his  mother's  kindred  and  in  exalting  himself  and  his 
tribe.  His  race-pride  was  increased,  although  he  followed 
the  guidance  of  Jehovah  in  most  of  the  affairs  of  his  life. 
Yet  now  did  he  fall  into  grievous  error.  His  own  shrewd- 
ness came  to  the  front  with  a  plan  to  appease  Esau's  wrath. 
It  is  true  Jacob  appealed  to  Jehovah  for  deliverance  from 
the  armed  bands  of  his  brother.  But  he  seemed  to  trust  to 
the  siege-train  of  flocks  and  herds  and  camels  which  he  sent 

*Gen.  28.:  20,  21.       +Gen.  29:  20. 


JACOB'S  FAMILY  PRIDE.  157 


in  detachments  to  beleaguer  the  heart  of  his  brother.  A 
succession  of  gifts,  he  thought,  would  gain  the  day  over 
the  covetous  nature  of  his  brother  sooner  than  any  man- 
ifestation of  God's  power.  In  short,  Jacob  seemed  to 
drop  back  to  his  earlier  state  of  mind  and  heart,  and  to  rest 
success  upon  a  transaction  of  barter  and  sale  with  Esau 
rather  than  place  implicit  trust  in  Jehovah.  As  he  tarried 
behind  alone,  by  the  brook  Jabbok,  anxious  about  the  effect 
of  his  gifts,  there  wrestled  a  man  with  him  until  the  break- 
ing of  the  day.  And  when  He  saw  that  He  prevailed 
not  against  him.  He  touched  the  hollow  of  his  [Jacob's] 
thigh;  and  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  was  out  of  joint  as 
He  wrestled  with  him.  And  He  said,  "  Let  me  go,  for  the 
day  breaketh."  And  he  [Jacob]  said,  '^ I  will  not  let  thee  go, 
except  thou  bless  me.  .  .  .  And  he  blessed  him  there,  and 
Jacob  called  the  name  of  the  place  Peniel  ['  the  face  of  God '] , 
for  I  have  seen  God  face  to  face,  and  my  life  is  preserved."* 
From  this  hour  Jacob  bore  the  new  name  given  him  by  the 
divine  wrestler,  Israel,  or  God's  Prince.  His  family  pride 
had  been  sanctified.  His  ambition  was  attained  through 
God's  gift  and  not  through  his  own  craft.  It  was  not  Jacob, 
the  supplanter,  who  entered  into  the  land  of  promise,  but  it 
was  Israel,  God's  patriarch.  Therefore,  the  altar  which  he 
erected  at  Schechem,  perhaps  the  Sichem  of  Abraham's 
time,  was  set  up  unto  the  God  of  his  fathers,  under  the 
title,  "  God,  the  God  of  Israel."  f  Yet  one  more  struggle 
remained  ere  Israel  cut  himself  loose  from  heathen 
connections  and  heathen  ideas  and  became  in  all  things 
God's  man.  The  fertility  of  the  soil  at  Schechem  attracted 
him,  and  he  pitched  his  tents  too  near  the  tents  of  the 
Canaanites.  The  disgrace  of  his  daughter  Dinah,  and  the 
resulting  slaughter  of  the  Schechemites  by  Simeon  and  Levi, 
opened  the  patriarch's  eyes  to  the  danger  of  all  heathen  as- 
sociations, and  made  him  willing  to  hear  God's  command. 
Jacob  had  forgotten  the  vow  made  unto  God  so  many  years 
before  at  Bethel.  Now  he  commanded  his  household,  "  Put 
away  the  strange  gods  that  are  among  you,  and  be  clean, 
and  change  your  garments  ;  and  let  us  arise  and  go  up  to 
Bethel,  and  I  will  make  there  an  altar  unto  God,  who  an- 
swered me  in  the  day  of  my  distress,  and  was  with  me  in 

*  Gen.  32  :  24,  30.        +  Gen.  33 :  20. 


158  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


the  way  which  I  went."*  There  by  the  stone  of  Bethel  did 
Jehovah  appear  to  Jacob  and  confirm  unto  him  the  name 
Israel  ;  moreover,  he  repeated  unto  Jacob  the  promises  made 
before  to  Abraham — that  he  should  be  a  great  nation  under 
God's  patriarchal  control  to  scatter  a  blessing  over  all  the 
earth,  f 

The  Descent  into  Egypt. 

When  Jacob  and  Esau  laid  away  the  body  of  their  father 
Isaac  in  the  family  burial-place  in  Hebron, t  Joseph  had 
spent  already  several  years  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  From  the 
most  probable  arrangement  of  the  chronology  of  the  life  of 
Isaac  and  Jacob, §  we  know  that  the  seventeen-year-old  Jo- 
seph was  sold  to  the  Midianite  merchants  about  eight  years 
before  the  death  of  Isaac.  The  grandfather  mourned  with 
the  father  Jacob  over  the  disappearance  of  the  favorite 
child,  Rachel's  first-born.  Probably  Isaac  comforted  Jacob 
by  relating  how  Jehovah  had  ordained  the  headship  of  the 
tribe  in  a  manner  contrary  to  the  first  wishes  of  both  Abra- 
ham and  Isaac.  Abraham  loved  Ishmael,  and  Isaac  loved 
Esau,  and  Jacob  loved  Joseph,  and  now  it  perhaps  occurred 
to  Isaac  that  God  was  preparing  to  hand  down  the  primacy 
according  to  his  own  plans.  In  very  truth,  ere  Isaac  died, 
the  first  movement  had  been  made  in  furtherance  of  God's 
purpose  announced  to  Abraham:  ''Thy  seed  shall  be  a 
stranger  in  a  land  that  is  not  theirs,  and  shall  serve  them."  || 

The  narrative  which  relates  the  descent  of  the  chosen 
family  into  Egypt  ^  opens  with  a  series  of  contrasts.  The 
dukes  of  Esau's  line  with  their  heathen  tribes  and  princi- 
palities are  first  named  as  representatives  of  a  race-ideal 
which  all  of  Jacob's  sons  might  have  followed  but  from 
which  they  were  saved  by  the  guiding  power  of  Jehovah. 
Then  follows  a  second  contrast  between  Joseph,  the  inher- 
itor of  Jacob's  race-pride,  the  dreamer  of  dreams,  wherein  he 
saw  his  own  exaltation,  and  his  brethren  who  were  moved 
by  malignant  envy.  Then  again,  the  purity  of  Joseph's 
character  and  his  implicit  confidence  in  Jehovah  far  away 
in  Potiphar's  house  and  in  the  royal  prison,  are  set  in  con- 
trast with  Judah's  unholy  alliance  with  Canaanitish  women.** 

*  Gen.  35:  2,3.    +Gen.  35:  9, 15.    tGen.35:29.    §  Speaker's  Com.  I.:  178.    ||Gen.l5:13. 
IT  Gen.  36 :  50.    **  Gen.  38  and  39. 


JOSEPH'S  GOVERNORSHIP.  159 


Yet,  ere  this  narrative  closes,  we  are  told  that  Judah's  line 
shall  hold  the  sceptre  until  the  promised  Saviour  shall  spring 
from  the  same  source.*  The  meaning  of  it  all  must  be  that 
the  power  of  God  can  mingle  Canaanitish  elements  with  the 
Abrahamic  seed — that  the  offspring  of  the  Babylonian 
votaess,  Tamar,  may  be  merged  into  the  line  of  Isaac  and  Ja- 
cob— and  His  geople  still  be  kept  pure  in  the  faith.  What 
means,  then,  the  Egyptian  sceptre  which  Jehovah  soon 
places  in  the  hands  of  Joseph  ?  It  does  not  mean  the  estab- 
lishment of  Joseph's  line  as  the  direct  heir  of  the  promises, 
but  it  means  the  use  of  Joseph  as  an  instrument  for  the  edu- 
cation of  the  twelve  tribes.  As  we  read  the  record  of  Joseph's 
advancement  at  Pharaoh's  court  through  his  interpretation 
of  dreams  and  through  his  practical  administrative  ability, 
we  see  the  clear  working  of  the  power  and  wisdom  of  God 
Himself. 

Joseph's  Grovernorship. 

About  two  full  centuries  elapsed  from  Abraham's  visit  to 
the  Nile  until  Joseph  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  Adon 
[President]  "  over  all  Egypt."  f  The  entire  life  of  Isaac, 
one  hundred  and  eighty  years,  had  passed  away  in  this  in- 
terval. The  Hyksos  kings  were  still  holding  court  at  Zoan, 
upon  the  Tanitic  branch  of  the  Nile.  They  made  use  of  the 
Semitic  tongue  as  an  official  language  along  with  the  Egyp- 
tian. The  Pharaoh  gave  orders  to  proclaim  in  the  Semitic 
language,  an  abrek,  "bow  the  knee."+  He  gave  to  Joseph, 
the  title,  Zaphnatpa^neakh,  which  means  "  Governor  of  the 
district  of  the  place  of  life."  Now^  the  monuments  have 
shown  us  that  all  the  land  of  Egypt  was  divided  into  a  num- 
ber of  districts,  or  nomes,  for  the  convenience  of  civil  admin- 
istration. They  have  further  revealed  a  special  name  given 
to  Pithom,  the  capital  of  the  Sethroite  nome  in  the  eastern 
delta  region  ;  this  name  was  "  The  place  of  life."  There- 
fore, the  simple  meaning  of  Joseph's  official  position  was  that 
he  was  made  the  governor  of  that  province  whose  capital  was 
Pithom.  This  district  was  made  up  chiefl}^  of  the  pasture- 
lands  of  Succoth,  and  contained  other  fortresses  and  towns, 
as  Etham  and  Migdol,  connected  with  the  later  Exodus  of 
the  Hebrews.     In  this  same  district  was  On,  the  city  of  the 

*  Gen.  49 :  10.        t  Gen.  45,  9 ;  Brugscli,  p.  124.        X  Brugsch,  p.  122. 


160  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Sun.  Joseph  was  now  united  in  marriage  to  the  daughter 
of  the  chief  priest  of  his  district.  The  names  of  his  wife, 
Asenath,  and  of  his  father-in-law,  Potipherah,  belong  to  the 
ancient  Egyptian  language,  and  probably  indicate  the  an- 
cient lineage  of  this  priestly  family.  In  this  manner  was 
Joseph  closely  connected  with  the  attempt  of  the  Hyksos 
kings  to  extend  the  ancient  Egyptian  laws  and  religion  over 
the  delta  region. 

What  were  some  of  those  laws  ?  If  we  search  among  the 
inscriptions  that  belong  to  the  time  of  Usertsen  I.,  an  early 
king  of  the  Twelfth  Dynasty,  who  ruled  centuries  before 
the  time  of  Joseph,  we  find  a  report  made  by  the  "governor 
of  the  province  of  Mah."  He  writes:  "  I  was  a  kind  master, 
of  a  gentle  character,  a  governor  who  loved  his  city. 

All  the  works  for  the  palace  of  the  king 

were  placed  in  my  hands No  child 

of  the  poor  did  I  afflict,  no  widow  did  I  oppress,  no  land- 
owner did  I  displace,  no  herdsman  did  I  drive  away,  from  no 
'  five-hand  master '  (small  farmer)  did  I  take  awa}'-  his  men 
for  my  works."*  The  tombstone  of  Mentu-hotep,  another 
official  of  Usertsen,  thus  describes  the  royal  servant:  "A  man 
learned  in  the  law,  a  legislator,  one  who  apportioned  the 
offices,  who  regulated  the  works  of  the  nome,  who  restored 
order  in  the  whole  land,  who  carried  out  all  the  behests  of 
the  king,  and  who,  as  judge,  gave  decisions  and  restored  to  the 
owner  his  property.'^  Likewise,  Mentu-hotep,  as  the  king's 
representative,  "imposed  the  taxes  on  the  north  country."! 

Another  king  of  this  Twelfth  Dynasty,  Amen-em-hat  III., 
constructed  a  great  artificial  lake,  which  the  Greeks  called 
Lake  Moeris.  In  the  valley  called  the  Faytim,  that  nestles 
between  the  hills  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Nile  above 
Memphis,  this  king  built  dams  and  excavated  a  basin, 
and  into  this  he  led  the  water  of  the  Nile  by  a  canal.  Near 
this  lake  the  king  built  the  famous  Labyrinth,  a  structure 
composed  of  twenty-seven  palaces.  From  this  magnificent 
residence  he  could  direct  the  irrigation  of  the  delta  from 
the  reservoir  of  Moeris  whenever  the  Nile  failed  to  supply 
the  ordinary  overflow  water. 

These  facts,  drawn  from  a  period  long  prior  to  that  of 
Joseph,  indicate  the   existence  in  Egypt  of  fixed  laws  of 

♦Brugsch.p.  61.       -Mdem.p.  63. 


JOSEPH'S  GOVERNORSHIP.  161 

land  tenure;  a  system  of  statutes  deriving  their  authority 
from  the  will  of  the  monarch;  a  judicial  administration  ar- 
ranged under  certain  departments,  the  chief  of  which  were 
public  ivorks,  taxation  and  war. 

Therefore,  Joseph  was  not  merely  governor  at  Pithom,. 
but  Pharaoh's  chief  minister  "over  all  the  land  of  Egypt." 
The  public  jDolicy  inaugurated  by  Joseph  may  have  been 
the  attempt  of  the  Hyksos  king  to  fasten  his  power  more 
completely  upon  his  subjects.  Concerning  Pharaoh's  dreams 
of  the  seven  fat  kine  upon  the  bank  of  the  Nile  devoured 
by  the  seven  lean  kine,  and  of  the  seven  good  ears  of  corn 
devoured  by  the  shrivelled  ears,  "Joseph  said  unto  Pharaoh, 
The  dream  of  Pharaoh  is  one;  God  hath   showed  Pharaoh 

what  He  is  about  to  do Behold  there 

come  seven  years  of  great  plenty  throughout  all  the  land  of 
Egypt:    And  there   shall   arise  after  them  seven  years   of 

famine and  the  famine  shall  consume 

the  land."*  Then  went  Joseph  forth  with  royal  authority  to 
collect  a  double  tax  during  the  years  of  plenty.  The  ordi- 
nary revenue  that  went  into  the  king's  coffers  seems  to  have 
been  one-tenth.  But  Joseph  collected  one-fifth  from  the 
abundance  of  the  first  seven  years;  he  "gathered  corn  as 
the  sand  of  the  sea,  very  much,  until  he  left  numbering; 
for  it  was  without  number. "f 

In  due  time  sore  famine  spread  "  over  all  the  earth." 
Throughout  the  seven  years  it  continued.  Joseph's  store- 
houses supplied  the  need  of  all,  but  in  selling  the  corn  he 
advanced  the  royal  authority  of  his  patron.  When  money 
and  cattle  and  herds  and  horses  and  asses  were  all  given  up 
for  corn,  then  "  Joseph  bought  all  the  land  of  Egypt  for  Pha- 
raoh; for  the  Egyptians  sold  every  man  his  field,  because 
the  famine  prevailed  over  them:  so  the  land  became  Pharaoh's." 

Only  the  land  of  the  priests  bought 

he  not;  for  the  priests  had  a  portion  assigned  them  of  Pha- 
raoh. .  .  .*.  .  Wherefore  they  sold  not  their  lands."! 
Thus  Joseph  declared  that  in  future  the  people  should 
hold  and  use  the  lands  only  as  the  king's  tenants,  on  condi- 
tion that  they  render  to  their  lord  a  yearly  fifth.  '^And  Joseph 
made  it  a  law  over  the  land  of  Egypt  unto  this  day  that  Pha- 
raoh should  have  the  fifth  part,  except  the  land  of  the  priests 

*  Gen.  41 :  25-30.       +  Gen.  41 :  49.        t  Gen.  47 :  13-22. 
11 


162  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


only,  which  became  not  Pharaoh's."*  The  probable  mean- 
ing of  this  transaction  is  this,  that  the  people  in  the  time  of 
Joseph's  Pharaoh  were  made  to  recognize  the  fact  that  they 
must  hold  their  land  by  royal  permission.  The  priests  re- 
mained in  full  possession  of  their  estates.  The  religious 
order  was  still  exalted  above  the  military  and  civil  orders, 
as  the  monuments  fully  affirm.  Perhaps  this  Pharaoh  was 
of  the  Hyksos  dynasty,  just  now  enforcing  the  ancient  pre- 
rogatives of  the  native  Egyptian  kings  and  collecting  a  dou- 
ble revenue  in  order  that  he  might  build  public  canals  for 
the  irrigation  of  the  land  in  time  of  drought. 

We  do  know  positively  that  the  chosen  family  was  now 
brought  into  close  contact  with  a  nation  possessed  of  an 
elaborate  system  of  law.  The  love  of  Joseph  for  his  own 
people  secured  them  a  fertile  land  for  a  dwelling-place. 
Under  God's  own  guidance  came  Jacob  and  all  his  family. 
*'And  Israel  took  his  journey  with  all  that  he  had  and  came 
to  Beersheba  and  offered  sacrifices  unto  the  God  of  his 
father,  Isaac.  And  God  spake  unto  Israel  in  the  visions  of 
the  night  and  said,  'Jacob,  Jacob.'  And  he  said,  '  Here  am 
I.'  And  He  said,  'I  am  God,  the  God  of  thy  father; /ear 
not  to  go  down  into  Egypt;  for  I  will  there  make  of  thee  a  great  na- 
tion. I  luill  go  down  with  thee  into  Egyjpt ;  and  I  will  also  surely 
bring  thee  uj)  again.'  "f 

There  are  three  reasons  here  apparent  to  account  for  the 
migration  of  this  tribe  into  the  land  of  Egypt: 

(1)  For  the  first  time  in  its  history  the  family  of  Jacob  was 
treated  as  a  distinct  nation.  The  best  of  the  land — the  land 
of  Goshen — was  ceded  to  Jacob  and  his  sons  as  a  pasture-land 
for  their  flocks.  As  a  nation  upon  terms  of  equality  with 
the  great  empire  of  Egypt,  Jacob  was  received  as  an  ally  and 
friend.  Pharaoh  received  Jacob  himself  as  he  would  receive 
a  foreign  monarch,  and  in  accepting  Jacob's  blessing,  the 
monarch  of  the  Nile  seemed  to  exalt  his  guest  even  above 
himself.  It  was  Jehovah's  favor  alone,  acting  in  miraculous 
manner  through  the  exaltation  of  Joseph,  that  bestowed  the 
same  exalted  dignity  upon  Joseph's  brethren  as  a  united 
nation. 

(2)  The  family  of  Jacob  was  now  planted  in  a  sheltered 
home  of  great  richness  where  it  might  grow  and  increase  in 

*  Gen.  47  :  26.        f  Gen.  46 :  1^. 


JACOB'S  DYING  BLESSING  ON  HIS  SONS.  163 


numbers  and  in  wealth  without  molestation  from  enemies. 
It  had  become  evident  that  the  land  of  Palestine,  as  the  per- 
manent possession  of  Israel,  must  be  fought  for  and  held  by 
force  of  arms.  Of  course,  Jehovah  would  fight  the  battles  of 
His  people,  but  they  must  be  numerous  enough  to  garrison 
the  land.  There  was  need  of  a  quiet  seed-bed  in  which  to 
grow.  It  was  found  in  Goshen.  There  were  they  left  severely 
alone  by  the  Egyptians,  "  for  every  shepherd  is  an  abomina- 
tion unto  the  Egyptians."  No  intermarriages  would  be 
sought  by  these  sons  of  Ham.  The  purity  of  the  race  and 
the  strength  thereof  could  be  made  to  increase  in  no  spot 
more  rapidly  than  in  the  secluded  home  in  Goshen. 

(3)  In  connection  with  the  Egyptians,  the  family  of  Ja- 
cob could  learn  the  advantages  of  a  system  of  statute  laws. 
Among  the  Babylonians  there  were  many  cyistoms  that  had 
the  force  of  unwritten  laws.  But  at  that  time  the  civil 
and  canon  law  of  Egypt  was  more  thoroughly  elaborated 
than  in  any  other  land  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  The 
sons  of  Jacob  looked  on  while  Joseph  enforced  the  authority 
of  one  supreme  monarch ;  and  yet  there  were  statutes  to  check 
the  arbitrary  wish  of  any  Pharaoh  inclined  to  play  the  des- 
pot. These  heads  of  the  tribes  of  Israel  now,  in  fact,  were 
entering  upon  a  course  of  training.  The  supremacy  of  a 
king,  connected  with  the  supremacy  of  written  law,  were  facts 
which  Jehovah  afterwards  used  at  Sinai  as  means  with  which 
to  burn  into  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  Israel  His  own  au- 
thoritv  as  king  and  lawgiver. 

I/O  o 

Jacob's  Dying  Blessing  on  His  Sons. 

This  supremacy  of  Jehovah  in  keeping  His  people  pure 
and  in  making  them  to  sit  in  the  seats  of  honor  among  men 
was  left  to  Jacob's  family  as  their  inheritance.  As  the 
sons  gathered  about  the  dying  bed  of  the.  patriarch,  his 
thoughts  rested  upon  Palestine  as  the  promised  posses- 
sion of  his  family.  There  he  desired  to  be  buried,  and 
there  he  saw  the  line  of  his  son,  Judah,  bearing  the 
sceptre  until  the  promised  deliverer  should  come.  He 
swore  each  of  his  sons  to  be  faithful  unto  the  God  of  his 
fathers.  The  gods  of  Egypt  influenced  Jacob  only  so  far  as  to 
increase  his  trust  in  the  promises  of  his  own  God.  In  this 
far-oflf  land  of  exile,  he  died,  pointing  to  the  exalted  strength 


164  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

of  his  own  nation  in  the  generations  yet  to  come.*  Like- 
wise Joseph  died  and  his  embalmed  body  was  kept  in  a  cof- 
fin in  Egypt.  But  Joseph's  commands  and  Joseph's  faith 
still  lived  in  the  hearts  of  his  brethren  and  pointed  them 
away  from  Egypt  and  her  institutions  unto  better  things. 
"  God  will  surely  visit  you  and  bring  you  out  of  this  land 
unto  the  land  which  he  sware  to  Abraham,  to  Isaac  and  to 
Jacob." t  As  the  years  passed  on,  the  covenant  promise  of 
Jehovah  wrapped  itself  about  the  affections  of  this  people 
more  and  more  until  the  time  was  ripe  for  the  divine  power 
to  draw  them  away  from  Egyptian  influences  and  train  them 
in  pure  religion  and  undefiled  in  their  own  home  in  Pales- 
tine. 

*  Gen.  48  and  49.       i  Gen.  50:  24. 


F^RT   TV. 


DIVINE   REVELATION   IN    CONFLICT   WITH 
HEATHENISM. 


Exodus  1-19. 


ISRAEL  IN  EGYPT.  167 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
Israel  in  Egypt, 


Now  have  we  reached  a  great  crisis  in  the  growth  of  Israel. 
The  chosen  family  is  ready  to  assume  the  garb  and 
name  of  a  distinct  nation  among  the  people  of  the  earth. 
God's  nation  has  come  to  years  of  maturity.  Distinctive 
institutions,  a  home  and  a  mission  must  be  formally  adopted. 
The  home  has  already  been  marked  out  in  the  covenants  be- 
tween God  and  the  three  patriarchs  of  the  race.  The  insti- 
tutions and  the  mission  are  now  to  be  assigned.  Whence 
shall  come  the  formal  statutes  and  the  national  ideals  to  be 
used  in  guiding  this  nation  in  its  future  course?  Not  from 
the  Babylonians  and  the  Egyptians,  nor  from  their  gods,  but 
from  Jehovah  himself.  Jehovah  has  given  the  land  of  Pal- 
estine as  a  home.  He  must  also  declare  the  ideal  way  in 
which  His  people  shall  walk.  In  making  known  His  will, 
it  must  be  remembered,  Jehovah  uses  human  things  and 
earthly  as  secondary  agencies.  The  institutions  of  Egypt 
form  one  great  means  of  instruction  for  Israel  in  the  land 
of  Goshen.  The  civil  and  religious  statutes  of  the  people 
of  the  Nile  do  not  form  the  basis  of  the  code  of  laws  given 
to  Israel  at  Sinai.  That  code  is  framed  in  the  courts  of 
heaven,  and  delivered  to  the  people  through  God's  servant, 
Moses.  But  the  laws  of  the  Egyptian  play  a  part  in  educat- 
ing the  Israelites  and  in  making  them  ready  to  understand 
and  adopt  God's  law.  They  have  learned  in  Egypt  the  ne- 
cessity of  some  formal  ritual,  of  some  elaborate  code  of 
civil  regulations  ;  and  lo!  now  does  Jehovah  Himself  hand 
down  from  heaven  the  law.  It  bears  no  relation  to  the  law 
of  Egypt,  except  that  of  contrast  and  opposition.  In  the 
lightning  that  flashes  all  around  the  sky,  in  the  thunder 
that  rolls  from  Sinai,  the  descendants  of  Jacob  hear  a  di- 
vine form  of  speech  declaring  that  they  must  be  separate 
and  distinct  from  all  other  nations  upon  the  earth,  and  must 
be  a  nation  holding  intimate  and  peculiar  relationship  with 


168  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Jehovah.  The  story  of  this  great  transaction  is  recorded  in 
the  early  chapters  of  the  Book  of  Exodus — a  great  epic 
narrative,  wherein  we  see  Jehovah  overturning  the  sun-god 
Ra,  and  leaving  him  forever  conquered  on  the  banks  of  the 
Nile. 

The  Growth  of  the  People  of  Israel. 

The  number  of  years  during  which  the  Israelites  sojourned 
in  the  land  of  Goshen  was  four  hundred  and  thirty.  *  The 
aggregate  number  of  people  who  departed  out  of  that  land, 
under  the  guidance  of  Moses,  was  six  hundred  thousand 
men  able  to  march,  f  Supposing  these  to  make  up  about 
one-fifth  of  the  population,  we  find  a  vast  host  approximat- 
ing three  millions  of  souls  fleeing  out  of  Egyptian  bondage. 
The  historian  begins  his  narrative  by  enumerating  the  heads 
of  families  that  came  into  Goshen  with  Jacob.  Now  we 
know  from  the  history  of  Abraham  that  the  size  of  the 
household  was  great.  He  ruled  over  a  family  containing 
three  hundred  and  eighteen  armed  servants.  If  we  allow 
this  number  as  a  moderate  estimate  of  those  who  made  up 
each  family  in  Jacob'  tribe,  we  find  that  more  than  three 
thousand  souls  entered  into  Egypt  in  Joseph's  time  as  the 
nucleus  of  the  nation  that  numbered  nearly  three  million  in 
the  time  of  Moses. 

The  early  years  of  this  long  period  are  briefly  described 
as  a  time  of  growth  in  numbers  and  in  power.  Joseph 
and  all  the  people  of  his  generation  passed  away,  and  the 
Israelites  were  still  left  in  peace.  They  "  were  fruitful  and 
increased  abundantly,  and  multiplied  and  waxed  exceedingly 
mighty  ;  and  the  land  was  filled  with  them."  J 

The  Store  Cities — Pithom  and  Raamses. 

The  increasing  power  of  the  Israelites  within  the  Egyp- 
tian territory  brought  fear  to  the  new  dynasty  of  kings  that 
began  to  reign  some  time  after  the  death  of  Joseph.  The 
"■  new  king  over  Egypt,  which  knew  not  Joseph,"  §  was  a 
member  of  one  of  the  royal  families  who  reigned  after  the 
expulsion  of  the  Hyksos  line  of  kings.  The  ancient  Egyp- 
tian princes  had  asserted  their  hereditary  rights,  had  driven 
out  the  shepherd  kings,  and  were  now  in  constant  terror  by 

*  Exodus  12:  40.   +  Exodus  12:  37.   t  Exodus  1:  7.   §Exodusl:  8. 


THE  STORE  CITIES.  169 


reason  of  these  foreign  dwellers  in  Goshen.  The  new  king 
said  unto  the  people,  "  Behold  the  people  of  the  children  of 
Israel  are  more  and  mightier  than  we  :  come  on,  let  us  deal 
wisely  with  them  ;  lest  they  multiply,  and  it  come  to  pass 
that  when  there  falleth  out  any  war,  they  join  also  unto  our 
enemies  and  light  against  us,  and  so  get  them  up  out  of  the 
land.  * 

A  distinct  policy  of  oppression  is  outlined  in  this  royal 
manifesto.  The  ultimate  aim  o^  the  policy  is  to  render  the 
Israelites  perpetual  slaves.  They  must  be  kept  in  Egypt  as 
serfs  of  the  soil.  Their  old  liberty  is  taken  away.  The 
allies  and  friends  of  Joseph's  time  are  now  treated  virtually 
as  slaves  captured  in  w^ar.  Therefore  the  Egyptians  "did 
set  over  them  task-masters  to  afflict  them  with  their  bur- 
dens."! 

In  constructing  the  public  works  and  fortifications  of  a 
military  empire  were  the  Israelites  first  employed.  "  They 
built  for  Pharaoh  store  cities,  Pithom  and  Raamses."  The 
spade  of  the  excavator  has  brought  these  two  "cities"  to 
the  surface,  and  now  can  we  read  the  name  of  this  Pha- 
raoh who  oppressed  Israel.  The  story  of  this  discovery 
dates  back  to  Napoleon's  invasion  of  Egypt.  In  making  a 
survey  of  the  Nile  country,  a  French  engineer  was  making 
his  way  along  the  site  of  an  ancient  canal  running  from 
Suez  to  Cairo.  On  the  canal  bank  he  found  an  elevated 
mound,  marked  by  a  half-buried  monument  of  granite. 
The  monument  was  a  single  stone,  cut  into  the  form  of  an 
arm-chair,  on  -which  were  seated  three  figures  in  priestly 
garb.  On  the  back  of  the  chair  was  cut  a  series  of  hiero- 
glyphics. But  the  secret  of  this  strange  form  of  speech 
was  yet  hidden,  and  for  many  years  after  the  visit  of  the 
French  engineer  the  place  was  known  in  the  Arabic  tongue 
as  Tell-el-Maskhutah,  "  the  mound  of  the  statue." 

Then  came  another  engineer  from  France,  De  Lesseps,  to 
dig  the  Suez  canal.  Midway  between  the  two  ends  of  the 
great  ditch  was  fixed  the  house  of  the  contractors;  a  little 
village  soon  sprang  up  here,  and  the  modern  name  of 
Ismailiya  still  clings  to  the  place.  Twelve  miles  toward  the 
south  was  Tell-el-Maskhutah.  From  that  place  were  brought 
the  three-figured  statue,  a  red-stone  tablet,  two  black-granite 

*  Exod.  1 :  9, 10.        t  Exod.  1 :  11. 


170  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


sphinxes  and  a  recumbent  sphinx  with  a  human  head,  and 
these  were  given  the  seat  of  honor  in  a  public  square  at 
Ismailiya,  a  place  which  they  continue  to  hold. 

Ere  this  twelve-mile  journey  of  the  stone  figures,  enough 
of  the  inscription  had  been  deciphered  to  show  that 
the  trio  in  the  chair  are  none  other  than  Rameses  II.,  seated 
between  the  two  sun-gods  Ra  and  Turn.  Hence  arose  the 
conjecture  that  the  mound  whence  came  the  sculptured 
gods  was  Raamses,  one  of  the  "store  cities"  built  by  the 
enslaved  people  of  Israel.  Then  at  length  in  the  year  1883 
A.  D.,  the  scholar  and  explorer,  Edouard  Naville,  came  upon 
the  scene  to  make  known  the  whole  truth. 

First  of  all,  Naville  carefully  read  the  inscriptions  upon 
the  objects  at  Ismailiya.  He  found  all  the  stones  dedicated 
to  the  god  Tum.  On  both  sides  of  the  red-stone  tablet  this 
deity  appeared.  With  a  human  head  wearing  the  crown  of 
all  Egypt,  and  with  a  hawk's  head  wearing  a  solar  disk,  did 
Tum  present  himself.  Then  Naville,  from  these  facts,  drew 
the  conclusion  that  the  mound  near  the  old  canal  is  not 
Raamses,  but  Pithom.  He  was  enabled  to  make  this  conjec- 
ture by  supposing  that  the  name  Pithom  is  simply  com- 
pounded of  two  words,  Pi  and  Tum,  "  the  abode  of  Tum." 

In  the  year  1884,  the  work  of  Naville's  spade  proved 
his  conjecture  to  be  correct.  An  entire  town  was  found 
beneath  the  sand  at  Tell-el-Maskhutah.  The  town  is  built 
in  the  form  of  a  square,  inclosed  by  a  brick  wall  twentj^-two 
feet  thick,  and  measuring  six  hundred  and  fifty  feet  along 
each  side.  Nearly  the  whole  of  this  space  is  occupied  by 
solidly-built  square  chambers,  divided  one  from  the  other  by 
brick  walls,  from  eight  to  ten  feet  thick,  which  are  unpierced 
by  window  or  door,  or  opening  of  any  kind.  About  ten  feet 
from  the  bottom  the  walls  show  a  row  of  recesses  for  beams, 
in  some  of  which  decayed  wood  still  remains,  indicating  that 
the  buildings  were  two-storied,  having  a  lower  room  which 
could  only  be  entered  by  means  of  a  trap-door,  used  proba- 
bly as  a  store-house  or  magazine,  and  an  upper  one,  in  which 
the  keeper  of  the  store  may  have  had  his  abode.  Thus  far 
the  discovery  is  simply  that  of  a  "  store-city,"  built  parti}'" 
by  Rameses  II.;  but  it  further  appears,  from  several  short 
inscriptions,  that  the  name  of  the  city  luas  Pa-Tum  or  Pithom; 
and  there  is  thus  no  reasonable  doubt  that  one  of  the  two 


THE  STORE  CITIES.  171 


cities  built  by  the  Israelites  has  been  laid  bare,  and  answers 
completely  to  the  description  given  of  it."  *  The  sa- 
cred historian  in  the  book  of  Exodus  further  states  that 
"  the  Egyptians  made  the  children  of  Israel  to  serve  with 
rigor:  and  they  made  their  lives  bitter  with  hard  service,  in 
mortar  and  in  brick. ^  In  corroboration,  the  walls  at  Pithom 
now  show  that  the  bricks  were  "  laid  with  mortar  in  regular 
tiers."  In  addition  to  all  this,  some  of  the  brick  at  Pithom 
•were  made  with  straiu  and  some  without  it,  an  apparent  con- 
firmation of  the  practice  enforced  by  the  next  king  of  Egypt 
when  straw  was  for  a  time  not  furnished  to  the  Israelite  toil- 
ers.! Other  inscriptions  show  that  Pithom  was  the  official 
capital  and  metropolis  of  a  district  known  as  Succoth,  a 
Semitic  word  meaning  "  camp."§  The  pasture-lands  imme- 
diately around  Pithom,  in  the  district  of  Succoth,  were  the 
first  rallying-place  of  the  Israelites  after  the  march  from 
Raamses  in  the  days  of  the  exodus. ||  This  second  "store- 
city,"  Raamses,  has  also  been  brought  to  the  light  by  Naville 
and  identified  with  Phacils,  situated  on  a  branch  of  the  Nile, 
between  Pithom  and  Tanis. 

To  sum  all  the  facts  together,  modern  learning  and  exca- 
vation have  restored  to  our  sight  the  toiling  Hebrews  under 
their  cruel  oppressor,  Rameses  II.  The  bitterness  of  their 
slave-life  may  be  read  in  the  collossal  works  carried  to  com- 
pletion in  these  brick-fields  of  the  delta  region.  Likewise, 
the  inscriptions  show  us  the  motive  of  the  king  in  construct- 
ing these  military  magazines.  "  Lest  they  join  themselves 
unto  our  enemies  and  fight  against  us "  was  the  fear  of 
Rameses  II.,  as  set  forth  in  Exodus.  The  hieroglyphics 
show  that  the  fear  of  foreign  enemies  of  the  Semitic  race, 
some  of  whom  dwelt  not  far  away  to  the  eastward  of  the 
land  of  Goshen,  filled  the  later  days  of  Rameses  with  unrest. 
We  have  seen  how  he  advanced  into  western  Asia  against  the 
powerful  Hittites.  At  Kadesh  he  defeated  them,  after  great 
deeds  of  personal  valor  on  his  part.  Over  many  a  temple  wall 
in  Egypt  was  spread  the  epic  poem  of  Pentaur,  celebrating  the 
prowess  of  the  royal  warrior.  The  cities  of  Canaan  were  cap- 
tured at  a  later  time,  and  many  prisoners  were  borne  away  to 
the  banks  of  the  Nile.  Then  Rameses  entered  into  peaceful 
alliance  with  the  king  of  the  Hittites  and  received  the  latter's 

*  George  Rawlinson.    +Exod.l:14.    JExod.5:16.    gBrugsch,  p.96.    ||  Exod.  12:  37. 


172  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


daughter  in  marriage.  Unto  Zoan-Tanis,  in  the  delta  re- 
gion, Rameses  now  returned,  and  there  established  a  court 
of  great  splendor.  He  became  a  great  public  builder.  His 
own  statue  was  set  up  in  every  part  of  his  kingdom.  Tem- 
ples arose  in  his  honor  at  Abydos,  Memphis,  Thebes,  and  at 
Abou  Simbel,  in  Nubia.  Besides  all  these  memorials,  he  has 
left  his  great  line  of  military  fortifications  in  the  land  of 
Goshen.  Tanis  was  his  capital.  Branching  out  from  this 
centre,  there  sprang  up  at  his  royal  command  a  series  of  for- 
tresses, commanding  the  highway  across  the  Isthmus  of 
Suez  from  Arabia  into  the  delta  region.  Between  Tanis 
and  the  head  of  the  Red  Sea  were  built  the  "  store-cities," 
Pithom  and  Raamses,  as  the  chief  links  in  the  great  mili- 
tary chain  drawn  across  this  isthmus  gateway.  From  his 
palace-towers  Rameses  looked  out  eastward  and  saw  the 
tribes  of  western  Asia  ready  to  fall  upon  his  kingdom.  Be- 
tween himself  and  these  enemies  he  saw  the  growing  popu- 
lation of  Israel.  By  their  toil  he  thought  to  build  up  breast- 
works against  the  threatening  danger,  and  so  the  cruel  edict 
went  forth  that  Israel,  in  Egypt,  should  no  longer  be  freemen 
but  slaves  in  hard  bondage. 

At  the  same  time  the  decree  of  Heaven  seems  to  have 
gone  forth  that  the  plots  of  the  King  of  Egypt  should  come 
to  naught.  The  sacred  historian  does  not  make  the  distinct 
assertion,  but  the  tone  of  the  narrative  undoubtedly  indi- 
cates that  God  exerted  His  power  in  causing  His  people  to  in- 
crease under  adverse  conditions.  The  intention  of  the 
Egyptian  king  was  to  check  the  growth  of  Israelitish  popu- 
lation. The  methods  of  oppression  which  he  used  had  no 
doubt  worked  successfully  against  other  enslaved  peoples. 
Not  so  with  the  children  of  Israel.  "  The  more  they  af- 
flicted them  the  more  they  multiplied  and  grew.  And  they 
were  grieved  because  of  the  children  of  Israel."*  The  fol- 
lowers of  Pharaoh  were  filled  with  mortification  and  with 
alarm  at  the  failure  of  their  scheme.  "With  rigor,"  there- 
fore, did  they  press  additional  work  upon  the  Hebrew  slaves; 
"  in  all  manner  of  service  in  the  field"!  did  they  compel 
them  to  toil.  In  digging  canals,  in  draining  swamps,  in  irri- 
gating the  hot  plains,  did  these  Hebrews  continue  to  delve 
where  malaria  and  pestilence  lurked.  But  God  preserved  His 

*  Exod.  1 :  12.       +  Exod.  1 :  13, 14. 


MOSES  AND  PHARAOH.  173 


children  and  made  them  to  increase.  He  had  flung  down 
the  gage  of  battle  before  the  princes  of  Egypt  and  before  her 
gods.  At  every  point  He  showed  His  might  in  bringing  to 
naught  the  national  policy  of  Pharaoh.  As  that  policy  in- 
creased in  harshness  God  intervened  with  greater  manifes- 
tations of  might.  He  made  the  walls  of  Pharaoh's  palace 
a  place  of  refuge  from  Pharaoh's  vengeance.  He  caused  a 
leader  of  His  people  to  be  trained  in  the  arts  of  war  and 
peace  in  Pharaoh's  schools.  He  used  the  royal  power  of 
Egypt  in  raising  up  Moses  and  then  turned  him  against  the 
empire  of  the  Nile  to  crush  the  power  thereof  and  to  estab- 
lish His  own  empire  forever. 

Moses  and  Pharaoh. 

Failure  followed  the  systematic  oppression  ordered  by 
Pharaoh.  The  Hebrews  did  not  sink  beneath  it,  but  in- 
creased the  more.  In  his  great  anger,  the  king  had  re- 
course to  systematic  murder.  The  new-born  male  children 
of  the  Hebrews  must  die.  Again  did  God  interfere  to 
thwart  the  scheme.  The  midwives,  chosen  as  the  instru- 
ments of  murder, /eared  God/  "Therefore  God  dealt  well 
with  the  midwives:  and  the  people  multiplied  and  waxed  very 
mighty.'"*  Then  did  Pharaoh  enjoin  all  his  people  that  they 
should  become  his  tools  in  a  wholesale  slaughter  of  the  new- 
born sons  of  the  Hebrews.  The  king  was  determined  to 
bury  the  race  of  Israel  beneath  the  waters  of  Egypt.  Then 
did  God  intervene  with  miraculous  power  to  save  Moses  from 
the  Nile  and  to  make  him  great  in  the  presence  of  the 
King. 

The  most  prominent  element  in  the  life  of  Moses,  even 
from  the  beginning,  is  the  miraculous  intervention  of  God 
in  saving  and  in  training  him.  Both  his  parents,  Amram 
and  Jochebed,  were  of  the  house  of  Levi.  A  temporary 
curse  had  been  pronounced  upon  the  family  of  Levi  by 
Jacob, f  but  now  did  God  take  up  a  son  of  this  house  in  or- 
der that  He  might  change  the  curse  into  a  blessing.  Hu- 
man ideas  were  not  followed  in  the  selection  of  a  Hebrew 
leader.  From  a  tribe  resting  under  a  shadow  was  he  taken. 
Not  the  elder  son,  Aaron,  but  the  younger  son,  Moses,  was 
chosen,  just  as  Jacob  was  preferred  before  Esau  and  Isaac 
before  Ishmael. 

*  Exod.  1 :  20.        +  Gen.  49 :  5-7. 


174  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH 


The  shrewdness  of  Moses'  mother  was  the  instrumentality 
used  in  preserving  the  young  child  from  the  edict  of  the  Pha- 
raoh. She  probably  knew  the  habits  and  disposition  of  the 
daughter  of  Rameses  II.  If  we  can  trust  the  tradition 
handed  down  by  Philo*  this  princess  was  married  and 
childless.  As  a  devotee  of  the  Egyptian  religion,  a  part  of 
her  daily  worship  consisted  in  bathing  in  the  sacred  stream 
of  the  Nile.  A  little  boat  of  papyrus  leaves  was  floated 
there,  and  within  the  boat  was  the  young  Hebrew  child. 
The  princess,  with  her  maiden,  discovered  the  boy.  The  babe's 
tears  stirred  up  compassion  in  the  heart  of  the  Pharaoh's 
daughter.  She  recognized  the  features  of  the  Hebrew;  no 
doubt  she  remembered  the  cruel  statute  of  the  king.  She 
evidently  saw  the  skillful  plan  of  the  Hebrew  mother,  and 
at  once  made  herself  a  party  to  it.  Miriam,  the  sister  of 
the  child,  was  watching  near.  She  ran  to  call  the  mother, 
and  soon  the  child  was  in  Jochebed's  arms  in  her  own 
home,  but  safe  from  the  edict  and  now  under  the  protection 
of  the  royal  house  of  Egypt.  "And  the  child  grew  and  she 
brought  him  unto  the  Pharaoh's  daughter,  and  he  became  her 
son.  And  she  called  his  name  Moses." ^  What  a  wonderful  thing 
had  God  wrought  in  Israel.  The  destined  leader  of  this 
people  saved  from  Egyptain  cruelty  by  Egyptian  hands, 
adopted  into  the  royal  household  of  the  Pharaoh  and  bearing 
an  Egyptian  name!  As  the  legal  son  of  the  Egyptian  prin- 
cess, Moses  would  naturally  become  "  learned  in  all  the  wis- 
dom of  the  Egyptians."  +  The  early  instruction  of  his 
Hebrew  mother  formed  the  basis  of  his  education.  His 
spiritual  development  never  departed  from  the  line  marked 
out  by  this  pious  daughter  of  the  house  of  Levi.  But  his 
mental  growth  was  hastened  by  the  wide  range  of  learning 
known  to  the  Egyptians.  Heathen  literature  was  the  agency 
used,  but  God  was  the  great  Teacher  of  his  servant  Moses. 

The  Royal  University  at  Heliopolis. 

The  monuments  indicate  the  fact  that  the  capital  of  Ra- 
meses II.  was  Zoan-Tanis,  on  a  branch  of  the  Nile,  in  the 
land  of  Goshen.  This  is  supposed  to  be  corroborated  by 
the  fact  that  Moses  was  there  exposed  on  the  river  in  a  frail 
boat  without  fear  of  crocodiles — since  these  animals  are  not 

*  Vit.  Mosis.  1:  4.       +Exod.  2:10.        t  Acts  7  :  22. 


THE  ROYAL  UNIVERSITY  AT  HELIOPOLIS.  175 


found  at  all  along  the  Zoan  branch  of  the  Nile.  Most  pro- 
bably, Moses  was  allowed  to  mingle  from  time  to  time  with 
his  father's  people,  there  to  learn  more  and  more  of  the  past 
history  of  his  race,  their  hopes  and  their  present  griev- 
ances.* But  his  habitual  place  was  at  the  king's  court,  un- 
der the  supervision  of  royal  tutors.  The  customs  and  the 
daily  life  of  the  Egyptians  are  clearly  revealed  on  the  mon- 
uments. Some  facts  in  connection  with  the  education  of 
Moses  may  here  be  mentioned. 

Figured  upon  the  monuments  are  wrestlers  and  swords- 
men. Athletic  games  like  those  of  the  ancient  Greeks  are 
pictured  and  written  about.  Most  probably  the  "  goodly 
child  "  of  the  house  of  Levi  would  excel  in  these  manly 
sports. 

Above  all  things  Moses  was  taught  to  read  and  write  the 
Egyptian  language.  Since  this  was  expressed  chiefly  in 
signs  and  pictures,  proficiency  in  writing  meant  skill  in 
drawing.  Great  attention  was  paid  to  language  as  a  sci- 
ence. The  grammar  and  vocabulary  of  the  hieroglyphic 
tongue  were  discussed  by  learned  scholars.  But  in  addition 
to  all  this,  we  find  evidence  bearing  on  a  fact  of  great  sig- 
nificance in  the  life  of  Moses.  Already  have  we  mentioned 
instances  of  Semitic  words  incorporated  into  the  Egyptian 
language.  Besides  these,  there  are  many  documents  of  the 
time  that  show  a  clear  knowledge  of  a  Semitic  dialect.  It 
seems  to  have  been  a  popular  custom  with  the  scribes  of 
the  time  of  Rameses  11.  to  transliterate  word  after  word 
from  the  Hebrew  tongue.  Then,  the  tablet  found  at  Lachish 
by  Mr.  Birch,  containing  a  letter  to  the  king  of  Egypt  in 
the  Babylonian  tongue  shows  that  a  Semitic  dialect  was 
used  by  the  Egyptian  officials  before  the  time  of  Rameses 
II.  Further  than  this,  the  mummy  of  Rameses  himself, 
now  in  the  museum  at  Cairo,  shows  traces  of  Semitic  physi- 
ognomy. It  seems  probable  that  he  was  of  Semitic  extrac- 
tion. Combining  this  evidence,  we  find  almost  conclusive 
proof  that  Moses  learned  to  write  in  Egyptian  characters  his 
own  mother  tongue.  If  the  Hebrews  had  not  yet  formed  a 
written  speech,  what  is  more  probable  than  the  supposition 
fhat  Moses  elaborated  and  developed  the  language  of  the 


*Exod.  2:  n. 


176  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Israelites  while  he  was  making  wide  studies  in  the  literature 
of  the  people  of  the  Nile  ? 

In  that  day  the  chief  seat  of  learning  was  Heliopolis,  the 
"  city  of  the  sun,"  not  far  away  from  Zoan  toward  the  south. 
This  place  was  also  the  principal  seat  of  the  national  wor- 
ship of  the  sun.  The  religious  and  educational  centre  of 
Egypt  was  Heliopolis,  at  once  the  Oxford  and  the  Canter- 
bury of  the  Nile  country.  The  Egyptian  name  of  this  sacred 
city  was  On.  Here  dwelt  and  worshipped  Poti-pherah,  the 
father  of  Asenath,  the  wife  of  Joseph.  Here  in  Moses'  time 
stood  the  four  tall  granite  shafts  erected  by  an  earlier  king  of 
Egypt,  Thothmes  HI.  The  mummy  of  this  old  king,  now 
in  the  museum  at  Cairo,  had  already  lain  for  years  in  the 
royal  tombs  near  Thebes.  Moses  saw^  not  him,  but  the  He- 
brew youth  looked  upon  those  obelisks  which  have  become 
the  trophies  of  western  nations.  One  of  these  obelisks 
stands  now  in  Constantinople,  one  in  Rome,  one  in  London 
and  one  in  Central  Park,  New  York.  At  the  entrance  to 
the  great  temple  of  the  sun  stood  these  tow^ering  stones,  like 
petrified  sunbeams,  and  between  them  passed  the  worship- 
pers as  they  entered  to  offer  sacrifice  to  the  god  of  day. 
Perhaps  Moses  entered  with  them.  Perhaps  he  learned  the 
principles  of  the  Egyptian  creed  and  devoted  many  3"ears 
to  the  study  of  the  symbols  used  in  its  ritual.  But  he  was 
simply  learning  how  to  use  his  tools.  The  teachings  of  this 
nature-religion  found  no  lodgment  in  his.  heart.  And  yet 
the  hold  which  this  elaborate  canon  law  had  gained  upon 
the  affections  of  the  Egyptian  people,  taught  him  the  neces- 
sity of  a  full  ritual  as  a  permanent  possession  of  his  own 
race.  By  and  bye,  when  God  gave  this  ritual  in  all  its  mi- 
nute details,  the  scribe  was  already  fully  taught  to  write  it 
down. 

This  ultimate  use  of  his  intellectual  acquirements  was  not 
yet  revealed  to  Moses.  But  he  labored  on  in  the  study  of 
geometry,  a  science  developed  by  the  Egyj)tians  in  their  nu- 
merous land-measurements.  He  was  taught  medicine  and 
astronomy.  He  was  trained  in  the  principles  and  in  the 
practice  of  law.  Written  laws  in  great  number  were  pos- 
sessed by  the  Egyptians.  The  use  made  of  these  by  Moses 
we  shall  see  in  our  study  of  the  code  issued  at  Sinai.  Then, 
poetry  was  the  subject  of  many  a  lesson  in  this  university 


MOSES  AS  A  SOLDIER  OF  TEE  EGYPTIAN  EMPIRE.      177 


life  at  On.  Perhaps  Moses  watched  the  professional  scribes 
writing  down  the  epic  of  Pentaur,  celebrating  the  valor  and 
the  deeds  of  Rameses.  Perhaps  his  soul  was  stirred  within 
him,  ready  to  break  forth  in  lyric  praises  to  the  God  of  his 
fathers.  All  the  known  facts  point  to  the  conclusion  that  in 
this  university  course  Moses  became  an  educated  Hebrew, 
rather  than  an  Egyptian.  He  acquired  facility  in  writing 
his  own  Hebrew  language,  and  his  mind  was  broadened  by 
a  close  study  of  Egyptian  science,  religion  and  law,  but  his 
heart  was  all  the  while  beating  with  loyalty  for  the  unseen 
King  above. 

Moses  as  a  Soldier  of  the  Egyptian  Empire. 

The  latest  authentic  biography  of  Moses  is' the  brief  sketch 
given  by  the  martyr  Stephen.  Concerning  that  period  of 
life  which  he  spent  in  the  Pharaoh's  court,  Stephen  sa^^s  that 
"  Moses  was  learned  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians,  and 
was  mighty  in  words  and  in  deeds."  *  To  be  might}^  in  words 
and  deeds  would  seem  to  imply  administrative  ability. 
Moses  was  evidently  an  official  high  in  favor  with  the  Pha- 
raoh. The  mechanism  of  practical  government  was  learned 
by  the  Hebrew  leader  under  the  tuition  of  the  king  of  Egypt 
himself.  It  was  an  administration  characterized  by  "  red- 
tape."  The  ruling-class  was  made  up  of  multitudes,  and 
the  insolence  of  office  was  one  of  the  burdens  borne  by  the 
peasant  class. 

We  have  the  authority  of  Josephus  and  of  Artapanus  for 
stating  that  Moses  was  a  soldier  of  high  rank  in  the  Egyp- 
tian army.  Whether  he  was  old  enough  to  assist  Rameses 
against  the  Hittites,  we  know  not.  But  the  tradition  handed 
down  by  Josephus  affirms  that  Moses  was  the  leader  of  an 
army  that  advanced  into  Ethiopia.  Great  success  rested 
upon  his  movements;  the  Ethiopian  king  submitted  and 
gave  his  daughter  in  marriage  to  Moses,  and  the  Hebrew 
leader  returned  to  celebrate  a  great  triumph  at  the  court  of 
the  Pharaoh. 

When  forty  years  of  his  life  had  run  their  course,  Moses' 
technical  education  was  completed.  A  successful  soldier 
and  statesman,  high  honor  was  accorded  him  by  the  Egyp- 
tians.    But  he  had  other  plans  than  a  career  in  the  service 

*  Acts  7  :  22. 

12 


178  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


of  the  Pharaoh.  A  higher  mission  was  sending  its  light  into 
his  soul.  Another  king  was  calling  him.  His  own  breth- 
ren needed  his  abilities.  He  broke  off  from  connection 
with  Egyptian  ro3^alty.  He  "  refused  to  be  called  the  son 
of  Pharaoh's  daughter,"  *  but  turned  away  from  Zoan  as  a 
mere  Hebrew,  the  servant  of  God,  with  a  great  divine  work 
opening  up  before  him. 

Moses  the  Self-Appointed  Deliverer. 

Moses  did  not  escape  the  faults  already  noticed  in  the  ca- 
reers of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob.  As  in  their  case,  so 
with  Moses  was  the  man's  mistake  made  God's  means  of  fur- 
ther revelations.  Moses  had  the  highest  motives  in  break- 
ing away  from  connection  with  the  Pharaoh's  court,  but  his 
impetuous  haste  in  killing  the  Egyptian  task-master  can 
hardly  be  justified. 

We  are  told  that  Moses,  after  passing  his  fortieth  year, 
*'  went  out  unto  his  brethren  and  looked  on  their  burdens."  f 
No  doubt  he  made  a  tour  of  the  land  of  Goshen,  along  by 
the  store-cities,  Pithom  and  Raamses — through  the  canals 
then  in  course  of  construction,  and  across  the  fields  where 
his  brethren  were  driven  to  their  rigorous  toil  by  the 
lash.  He  saw  "  an  Egyptian  smiting  an  Hebrew,  one  of 
his  brethren."  I  The  sympathy  of  the  son  of  the  tribe  of 
Levi  was  aroused.  The  cause  of  these  laboring  Israelites 
was  his  cause.  Then  the  impetuous  haste  of  the  successful 
soldier  urged  him  to  the  slaughter  of  the  cruel  overseer. 
He  did  not  pause  to  consider  the  legal  methods  open  to  him. 
The  Egyptian  law  offered  means  of  prosecuting  injustice. 
But  Moses  seems  to  have  constituted  himself  the  deliverer 
of  his  brethren.  He  knew  the  promises  of  God  unto  His 
people.  Now  he  rashly  thought  to  use  his  own  human 
ability  and  his  own  experience  as  a  warrior,  in  order  to  set 
these  Hebrews  free.  There  is  no  evidence  to  show  that 
Moses  had  as  yet  received  a  special  revelation  from  God. 
He  simply  appointed  himself  as  the  agent  of  a  deliverance 
which  he  believed  God  would  work  out  for  the  descendants 
of  Jacob.  Moses  soon  saw  his  mistake.  He  was  not  received 
as  a  mediator  by  the  Hebrews  themselves.  His  unlawful 
deed  became  known  even  to  the  Pharaoh,  who  "  sought  to  slay 

*Hebrew36.       t  Acts  7,  Exod.  2:  11.       tExod.2:H. 


MOSES  THE  SELF-APPOINTED  DELIVERER.  179 


Moses."  *     At  once  he  fled  the  land  and  took  up  his  dwell- 
ing in  Midian,  beyond  the  Red  Sea  toward  the  east. 

The  motive  of  Moses  in  attempting  a  national  deliverance 
for  his  brethren  was  a  lofty  one.  It  shows  how  deeply  the 
lessons  of  Israel's  past  history  had  entered  his  soul.  He 
realized  that  God  had  a  better  condition  in  store  for  them 
than  this  of  Egyptian  slavery.  But  he  was  mistaken  in  sup- 
posing that  an  Egyptian  training  in  state-craft  and  in  war 
€Ould  accomplish  the  proposed  independence.  He  must 
have  supreme  power  behind  him.  He  must  dwell  in  the 
solitudes  of  Midian  for  forty  years  to  be  taught  of  God. 
"When  the  divine  power  shall  fill  his  heart  and  his  mind; 
when  it  shall  be  committed  into  his  very  hands;  when  he 
shall  receive  the  explicit  command  to  deliver  this  people  as 
God's  accredited  agent,  then  shall  the  wisdom  acquired  at 
Heliopolis  be  of  some  value.'  But  until  God  shall  set  His 
seal  upon  the  Egyptian  education  and  render  it  the  sub- 
servient instrument  of  His  will  in  the  heart  of  a  man  conse- 
crated solely  unto  Himself — until  then,  the  skill  and  the 
knowledge  of  Moses  are  without  power. 

*Exod.  2:  15. 


180  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
Jehovah  Declares  His  Name. 

Moses  in  Midiau. 

ACROSS  the  isthmus,  now  called  Suez,  into  the  Arabian 
desert,  fled  Moses.  Beyond  the  Aelanitic  gulf,  among 
the  Midianites,  he  found  a  home.  A  tribe  of  shepherds 
were  these  people  of  Midian,  although  they  had  already 
builded  some  cities  along  the  shore  of  this  arm  of  the  sea. 
The  priest  and  king  of  the  tribe  was  Reuel,  or  Reguel,  a 
name  meaning  "friend  of  God."  These  people  seem  to  have 
believed  in  the  God  who  had  revealed  Himself  to  Abraham, 
and  in  some  measure  they  kept  alive  the  worship  practiced 
by  the  Hebrew  patriarchs.  One  of  the  seven  daughters  of 
this  priest  became  the  wife  of  Moses,  and  then  the  late  sol- 
dier of  the  Egyptian  army  became  the  leader  of  sheep  in 
the  desert  country.  The  story  of  his  life  in  these  solitudes 
is  not  told.  Stephen  declares  that  he  spent  forty  years  in 
Midian.*  As  an  indication  of  his  love  for  his  own  people, 
we  find  him  naming  his  first-born  son  in  Midian,  Gershom, 
a  name  meaning  "stranger,"  for  he  said,  "I  have  been  a 
stranger  in  a  strange  land,"  f  Not  many  years  had  passed 
ere  Reuel  died,  and  the  leadership  of  the  tribe  was  assumed 
by  Reuel's  son,  .Jethro.  The  latter  was,  therefore,  the 
brother-in-law  and  not  the  father-in-law  of  Moses,  since  the 
Hebrew  word  used  in  Exodus  3:1,  may  be  rendered  in  either 
way.  This  man's  flock  w^as  now  kept  by  Moses,  and  "  he  led 
the  flock  to  the  backside  of  the  desert  and  came  to  the 
mountain  of  God,  towards  Horeb."  +  This  statement  means 
that  he  had  wandered  down  the  western  shore  of  the  Aelanitic 
gulf  into  the  peninsula  of  Sinai,  to  the  very  mountain 
where  God  afterwards  delivered  to  him  the  tables  of  stone. 

These  statements  make  clear  to  us  the  meaning  of  this 
period  in  the  life  of  Moses.  It  was  a  time  of  personal  com- 
munion  with  God  in   the  midst  of  silent  sand-wastes  and 

*  Acts  7.        +Exod.2:22.        |Exod.3:l. 


MOSES  IN  MIDIAN.  181 


towering  rocks.  In  the  loneliness  of  the  desert,  as  he  sought 
for  pasturage,  God  was  teaching  him.  The  Spirit  of  God 
was  moulding  into  strength  the  mind  and  the  heart  already 
freighted  with  the  teachings  of  Egypt.  In  later  genera- 
tions God  continued  to  train  His  servants  according  to  this 
very  method.  Elijah  afterwards  fled  to  this  very  rock  of 
Horeb  to  receive  comfort  and  new  commands  from  the  Lord. 
Our  Lord  Himself  was  in  the  wilderness  for  forty  days,  and 
His  forerunner,  John,  spent  his  early  life  there.  Paul,  the 
Apostle,  was  three  years  in  Arabia,  possibly  in  these  very 
wilds  where  Moses  led  his  flock.  Humility  of  spirit  came 
to  the  impetuous  soldier  who  had  attempted  to  deliver  his 
Hebrew  brethren  by  means  of  his  own  strength.  Confidence 
in  the  God  of  his  fathers  and  in  the  covenant-promises  in- 
creased with  the  passing  years,  for  the  second  son  borne  by 
the  daughter  of  the  Midianite  received  from  Moses  the  name 
Eliezer,  meaning,  "  my  God  is  an  help."  *  Thus  does  his 
second-born  child  stand  as  the  memorial  of  a  great  crisis  in 
Moses'  training.  The  truth  of  God's  promises  had  taken 
hold  upon  his  heart,  and  he  was  ready  to  turn  unto  high 
heaven  for  future  guidance. 

Meanwhile,  a  similar  crisis  had  been  reached  in  the  story 
of  the  Hebrews  in  Egypt.  Rameses  II.,  King  of  Egypt, 
had  died.f  His  successor  was  his  son  Meneptah  II.  This 
king  continued  the  oppression  begun  by  his  father,  "and 
the  children  of  Israel  sighed  by  reason  of  the  bondage," 
and  they  cried,  and  their  cry  came  up  unto  God  by  reason 
of  the  bondage. t 

Most  probably  the  Hebrews  had  been  fascinated  by 
the  civil  and  religious  institutions  of  Egypt.  Perhaps  they 
had  ceased  the  strict  observance  of  that  divine  worship 
practiced  by  the  patriarchs.  But  now  they  awaked  as  if 
from  a  long  sleep.  The  persecutions  of  two  successive  kings 
recalled  the  instances  of  deliverance  wrought  by  the  God 
of  their  fathers.  Accordingly  they  turned  unto  Him.  It 
was  an  act  of  national  supplication  to  the  God  who  had 
made  the  covenants  with  Abraham.  ''And  God  heard  their 
groaning,  and  God  remembered  His  covenant  with  Abra- 
ham, with  Isaac,  and  with  Jacob.  And  God  looked  upon 
the  children  of  Israel,  and  God  had  respect  unto  them."  § 

*Exod.  18:4.        +Exod.  2:23.        fExod.2:23.        gExod.  2:  24,  25. 


182  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

The  narrative  thus  far  reveals  the  conditions  upon  which 
God  based  His  proposed  revelation  of  Himself,  Moses,  the 
individual,  and  Israel,  the  people,  were  first  brought  to  a 
sense  of  their  personal  dependence  upon  Him.  Their  op- 
pression by  heathen  power  turned  them  unto  the  God  who 
had  made  covenants  with  their  fathers.  Unto  Him  alone 
did  they  now  turn  for  help.  He  was  ready  to  answer  them 
with  a  stretched-out  arm. 

The  Burning  Bush. 

The  most  striking  element  in  the  vision  of  Moses  in  Mt. 
Horeb  was  the  personal  manifestation  of  God.  The  individual 
voice  of  God  in  the  person  of  His  Son,  spoke  and  revealed 
His  plans.  Truths  before  unknown  to  Moses  were  now  re- 
vealed. The  line  of  his  own  thought  was  broken  off,  and  a 
page  from  God's  purposes  was  handed  down  through  the  me- 
dium of  the  One  Person  who  appeared  in  the  form  of  a  flame 
of  fire.  The  silence  of  long  years  was  broken,  and  the  com- 
munication between  man  and  God,  once  clearly  established 
in  Abraham's  day,  was  again  resumed.  Resumed ,  too,  accord- 
ing to  a  more  definite  method.  Not  only  did  Moses  see  with 
his  own  eyes  the  form  of  the  bush  all  aflame,  but  he  heard 
with  his  ears  the  message  of  the  Holy  One.  It  was  not 
a  vision  of  the  night,  but  of  the  day,  for  Moses  was  com- 
manded to  stand  with  unshod  feet  as  in  the  presence  of  Him 
who  demands  worship  as  the  preliminary  condition  of  all 
revelation  of  Himself.  As  the  Holy  One  God  had  revealed 
Himself  in  the  days  of  Noah  and  of  Abraham.  As  the 
Holy  One  he  now  received  Moses  into  His  presence.  The 
personal  relationship  established  between  this  man  and 
his  God,  was  upon  the  basis  of  the  primitive  revelations 
made  unto  the  patriarchs.  In  fact,  God  continued  to  break 
the  silence  by  saying,  "I  am  the  God  of  thy  father,  the  God 
of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob.  And 
Moses  hid  his  face,  for  he  was  afraid  to  look  upon  God."  * 
A  spirit  of  reverence  filled  the  heart  of  Moses,  and  therefore 
did  God  continue  to  make  Himself  known.  The  revelations 
were  all  made  upon  the  basis  of  the  Abrahamic  covenants. 
"  My  people,  the  children  of  Israel,"  is  the  refrain  that  runs 
through  all  of  God's  declarations.!     To  discharge  His  cove- 

*  Exod.  3:6.       +  Exod.  3 :  7-10. 


GOD'S  COVENANT  NAME  IS  JEHOVAH.  183 


nant  promises  unto  them  had  He  come.  The  "cry"  of  His 
people  had  come  up  unto  Him.  The  "home"  of  His  peo- 
ple stood  ready  for  them,  a  home  long  before  promised  to 
them.  The  time  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  contract  was  at 
hand;  the  measure  of  the  suffering  of  His  people  was  full. 
God  said  to  Moses,  "  Come,  now,  therefore,  and  I  will 
send  thee  unto  Pharaoh  that  thou  mayest  bring  forth  my 
people,  the  children  of  Israel,  out  of  Egypt."* 

God's  Covenant  Name  is  Jehovah. 

The  great  change  wrought  in  the  character  of  Moses  by 
forty  years  of  shepherd  life  is  indicated  in  his  humility. 
Once  he  thought  to  set  himself  forth  as  a  national  liberator. 
Now,  when  God  speaks,  Moses  draws  himself  back.  We 
have  here  an  indication  that  the  narrative  is  not  fabricated 
by  human  wisdom  to  show  that  Moses  conceived  the  vision 
in  his  own  imagination.  The  revelation  ran  counter  to  his 
thoughts.  He  no  longer  hoped  to  play  a  great  personal  part 
in  the  history  of  his  own  people.  When  God  called  upon 
him  to  serve  as  the  agent  of  His  plans,  "  Moses  said  unto 
God,  'Who  am  I,  that  I  should  go  unto  Pharaoh?  '  "f  Then 
follows  the  declarations  concerning  God's  abiding  presence. 
Moses  not  only  doubts  his  own  fitness  as  God's  messenger, 
but  he  also  asks  more  particularly  concerning  the  character 
of  the  God  of  his  fathers.  "What  is  His  name?"  cries 
Moses.  J 

"And  God  said  unto  Moses,  '  I  AM  THAT  I  AM;'  and 
He  said.  Thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
'  I  AM  hath  sent  me  unto  you.'  And  God  said,  moreover, 
unto  Moses,  Thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
'  Jehovah,  God  of  your  fathers,  God  of  Abraham,  God  of  Isaac, 
and  God  of  Jacob,  hath  sent  me  unto  you;  this  is  my  name 
forever,  and  this  is  my  memorial  unto  all  generations.'  "  § 

The  Hebrews  dwelt  in  the  midst  of  a  people  who  had 
many  gods  under  varying  names.  As  the  Almighty  had 
God  appeared  unto  Abraham.  Now  He  declares,  by  the  use 
of  the  name  Jehovah,  that  He  is  yet  the  same  God  as  of  old. 
The  term,  "  I  Am  That  .1  Am  "  means  the  same  as  the  word 
Jehovah,  and  this  simply  indicates  that  God  is  The  Eternal 
One.     The  covenants  with  Abraham  were   made   upon   the 

*Exod.3:10.        +Exod.3:n.        JExod.  3:13.        g  Exod.  3:  14, 15. 


184  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


basis  of  God's  Almighty  power.  His  eternal  existence  and 
unchangeable  nature  were  clearly  implied  in  those  contracts 
as  conditions  of  their  fulfillment.  In  the  revelation  now 
made  to  Moses,  a  new  covenant  is  not  made,  but  the  old 
covenants  are  renewed.  The  basis  of  such  revelation  must 
be  that  God  is  the  same  God  making  again  the  same  cove- 
nants. This  fact  is  expressed  in  the  declaration  that  God 
is  Jehovah — the  Eternal — "the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and 
forever."  It  is  the  official  name  under  which  God  continues 
to  expand  and  amplify  His  revelations  from  age  to  age.  It 
is  a  name  which  we  have  found  already  in  the  narrative  in 
the  Book  of  Genesis,  placed  there  by  the  author  of  that 
book  as  indicating  this  same  fact,  that  from  the  very  begin- 
ning God  is  Jehovah,  the  Maker  of  progressive  revelations 
unto  His  people.  But  in  God's  own  specific  declarations  to 
the  primitive  peoples  of  the  days  of  Adam  and  Noah,  He 
manifested  Himself  as  the  Almighty  Creator  and  Ruler. 

To  prove  unto  Moses  and  the  people  of  Israel  that  He  is 
now,  in  their  day,  as  He  was  in  the  day  of  Abraham,  still 
the  same  God  of  Almighty  power.  He  works  certain  mira- 
cles. These  wonders  are  given  as  His  credentials.  In  those 
former  days  He  wrought  wonders  to  deliver  their  fathers — 
Abraham  and  Jacob — and  now  does  He  work  wonders  to 
show  that  He  is  in  truth  Jehovah — that  is,  the  self-same 
God  during  all  time. 

In  the  name  of  Jehovah,  the  rod,  or  shepherd's  staff  of 
Moses,  is  changed  into  a  hissing  serpent.  Moses  flees  from 
before  it,  but,  at  the  Lord's  command,  he  takes  it  up,  and  lo! 
the  serpent  becomes  again  the  rod  in  his  hand.  This  is  done 
in  order  to  vindicate  the  divine  assertion,  "  that  Jehovah, 
God  of  their  fathers,  God  of  Abraham,  God  of  Isaac,  and 
God  of  Jacob,  hath  appeared"  unto  him.* 

Moses  and  Aaron  in  Egypt  as  the  Representatives  of  Jehovah. 

For  many  days  Moses  resisted  the  call  of  Jehovah.  He 
seems  to  have  made  the  mistake  now  of  too  much  humility. 
He  carried  this  so  far  as  to  indicate  a  lack  of  confidence  in 
God's  power.  In  fact,  the  first  of  God's  miracles  were 
designed  to  drive  Moses  from  this  position  by  showing  that 
Jehovah  is  still  the  all-powerful. 

•Exod.  4:  1,5. 


MOSES  AND  AARON  IN  EGYPT.  185 


At  first  Moses  offered  the  objection  of  liis  own  laclc  of  fit- 
ness.* Tlien  he  demurred  on  tlie  ground  that  the  people 
would  not  believe  his  story  of  the  divine  vision. f  Instantly 
the  rod  in  his  hand  was  changed  to  a  serpent — then  his 
hand  was  made  leprous  and  again  made  whole  within  a  mo- 
ment; and  the  promise  was  further  made  that  water  poured 
out  by  his  hand  upon  the  ground  should  be  changed  into 
blood.  All  these  wonders  were  given  as  signs  that  God  had 
given  him  commission. t  Even  then  Moses  continued  to 
resist.  His  own  unfitness  again  was  brought  forward. 
''And  Moses  said  unto  the  Lord,  '  0  my  Lord,  I  am  not  a 
man  of  words,  neither  heretofore  nor  since  thou  hast  spoken 
unto  thy  servant ;  but  I  am  slow  of  speech  and  of  a  slow 
tongue.'  "  §  To  such  extent  was  this  obstinacy  now  carried 
that  the  Lord  saw  fit  to  punish  Moses.  He  took  the  man  at 
his  word.  No  longer  should  he  be  alone  as  mediator  be- 
tween God  and  His  people,  but  Aaron  was  sent  as  spokes- 
man for  Moses.  !| 

The  commission  aroused  Moses  to  a  sense  of  duty.  The 
rite  of  circumcision  had  been  neglected  even  in  his  own 
household.  During  the  journey  to  Egypt  with  his  wife  and 
sons,  he  circumcised  the  children.  In  the  wilderness  came 
Aaron  to  meet  him  and  then  started  these  two  servants  of 
Jehovah  upon  their  mission. 

A  public  assembly  of  all  the  Hebrew  people  was  called  by 
their  own  elders.  In  their  presence  appeared  Moses  and 
Aaron.  "  And  Aaron  spake  all  the  words  which  the  Lord 
had  spoken  unto  Moses,  and  did  the  signs  in  the  sight  of  the 
people.  And  the  people  believed:  and  when  they  heard  that 
the  Lord  had  visited  the  children  of  Israel,  and  that  He  had 
looked  upon  their  affliction,  then  they  bowed  their  heads 
and  worshipped."^  The  divine  credentials  were  received. 
The  worship  practiced  by  the  patriarchs  was  revived.  The 
people  as  a  nation  were  united  under  the  standard  of  Jeho- 
vah, ready  to  be  guided  unto  their  promised  home.  It  was 
now  left  unto  Moses  and  Aaron  to  throw  down  the  gage  of 
battle  before  the  sun-worshippers  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 

Into  the  presence  of  Meneptah,  at  Zoan,  came  Moses  and 
Aaron.  Startling  to  his  royal  ear  was  the  demand,  "Thus  saith 

♦Exod.S:  n.    +Exod.  4:1.    t  Exod.  4:  2,  9.    §Exod.4:10.    ||  Exod.  4:  U,  IV.    ITExod. 
4:  29-31. 


186  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Jehovah,  God  of  Israel,  let  my  people  go  that  they  may  hold 
a  feast  unto  me  in  the  wilderness."  *  In  the  name  of  Jeho- 
vah and  in  the  name  of  common  justice  came  the  demand. 
Meneptah  recognized  neither  Jehovah  nor  justice.  Jehovah 
declared  that  the  people  were  His,  and,  therefore,  unlawfully 
oppressed  by  the  king  of  Egypt.  Meneptah  returnd  the  an- 
swer of  all  despots  when  a  demand  comes  in  the  cause  of 
liberty.  "  Who  is  Jehovah,  that  I  should  obey  His  voice  to 
let  Israel  go  ?  I  know  not  Jehovah,  neither  will  I  let  Israel 
go."  t  Instead  of  liberty  to  depart  even  three  days  from  the 
presence  of  the  Egyptians,  Meneptah  enforced  greater  bur- 
dens upon  the  Hebrews.  They  were  sent  to  gather  straw  in 
addition  to  the  labor  required  in  making  the  ordinary  "tale 
of  bricks.  Then  came  the  people  of  Israel  to  lay  the  blame 
upon  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  these  in  turn  came  to  chide  Je- 
hovah.J  At  this  juncture  came  Jehovah's  formal  declara- 
tion of  war  against  the  power  of  the  king  of  Egypt.  His 
covenant  was  recalled  and  all  the  promises  renewed.  Again 
upon  the  ears  of  Moses  came  the  declaration  that  God  is  Je- 
hovah.    "Wherefore,  say  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  I  am 

Jehovah, and  I  will  redeem  you 

with  a  stretched-out  arm  and  with  great  judgments. "§ 

Then  again  into  the  presence  of  the  Pharaoh  was  Moses  sent. 
Although  his  old  obstinacy  returned  and  he  hesitated  at  the 
very  crisis  of  the  dispute  with  the  king,!  yet  Jehovah  con- 
tinued to  urge  him  forward  until  he  dared  a  second  time  to 
face  King  Meneptah.  When  Moses  was  now  four-score 
years  of  age,  and  Aaron  was  yet  older  by  three  years,  these 
representatives  of  the  living  God  entered  the  palace  of  the 
Pharaoh  at  Zoan-Tanis  to  present  their  formal  credentials  as 
ambassadors  from  the  court  of  Jehovah.  As  they  stood  be- 
fore the  royal  throne  of  Egypt,  demanding  the  release  of  Jeho- 
vah's enslaved  children,  at  the  same  time  the  divine  commis- 
sion was  presented.  Aaron  bore  the  rod  of  authority.  Down 
before  the  king  he  cast  it.  Immediately  it  became  a  writh- 
ing, living  serpent.  A  s3nnbol  of  power  was  there  presented 
which  the  Pharaoh  could  not  mistake.  The  serpent  was  per- 
haps the  basilisk  or  cobra,  which  was  carved  on  the  diadem 
of  every  king  of  Egypt  as  the  sign  of  royal  authority.  Upon 
Meneptah's  own  crown  at  that  very  moment  was  displayed 

*Exod.5:l.    +Exod.5:  2.    JExod.  5:  4-23.    §Exod.6:l-8.    ||  Exod.  6:  9-37. 


MOSES  AND  AARON  IN  EGYPT.  187' 


this  serpent-symbol.  Here  upon  the  floor,  at  Jehovah's  com- 
mand, a  little  rod  of  wood  became  the  symbol  of  power. 
Then  came  Meneptah's  magicians.  Jehovah  permitted  their 
rods  to  become  serpents  also.  But  Aaron's  rod  swallowed 
up  their  rods.  Egyptian  power  must  submit  to  Jehovah's 
power.*  Pharaoh  was  defied  in  his  own  palace.  An  omen 
was  there  displayed  that  Jehovah  would  crush  his  kingly 
authority  forever.  But  the  Pharaoh's  heart  was  hardened. 
The  obstinacy  of  his  temper  blinded  his  eyes,  and  he  accepted 
the  challenge  of  battle.  Henceforth  must  we  look  for  the 
active  manifestation  of  Jehovah's  authority  through  his  me- 
diators, Moses  and  Aaron.  Now  came  the  stern  conflict 
wherein  God  spake  and  the  power  of  Ra,  the  sun-god,  and 
of  his  son,  the  sovereign  of  the  Nile,  was  overwhelmed. 

*  Exodus  7:  1-9. 


188  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Jehovah's  Name  Vindicated  in  the  Presence  of  the 
Sun-Gods  of  Egypt. 

Zoan,  the  Capital  of  the  Delta. 

THE  year  1884  A.  D.,  saw  the  ancient  Zoan  brought  to 
the  light.  A  vast  heap  of  ruins  in  the  centre  of  the 
eastern  portion  of  the  delta  region  was  excavated  by  Mr. 
W.  M.  Flinders  Petrie,  and  there  lay  the  capital  of  Meneptah, 
the  Pharaoh  of  the  exodus.  In  later  times  the  city  came  to 
be  known  as  Tanis;  for  when  the  Septuagint  scholars  came 
to  that  passage  in  Psalm  78:  12,  "Marvelous  things  did  He 

in  the  field  of  Zoan,"  from  their  knowledge  of 

the  locality  and  the  place,  they  rendered  the  statement  thus: 

"  Marvelous  things  did  He in  the  field  of 

Tanis."  The  spade  of  Mr.  Petrie  corroborated  the  testimony 
of  the  Septuagint  scholars.  He  found  Tanis  to  be  the  re- 
mains of  a  splendid  capital,  the  ancient  seat  of  Rameses  II., 
and  of  his  son  Meneptah — the  same  city  once  called  Zoan  in 
the  days  of  the  exodus. 

Fragments  of  domestic  ware,  of  royal  trappings,  of  relig- 
ious paraphernalia,  were  scattered  abroad  throughout  the 
streets  of  the  buried  Zoan;  but  the  chief  of  all  the  ruins 
were  a  temple,  a  palace  and  a  royal  statue.  Like  all  the 
other  sanctuaries  of  Egypt,  the  great  temple  was  sacred  to 
the  sun,  and  Meneptah  bore  the  proud  name  of  "  the  son  of 
the  sun,"  "  the  living  Horus."  The  king  before  whom  Moses 
and  Aaron  appeared  was  considered  a  living  god  upon  earth, 
the  representative  of  Horus,  the  sun  upon  the  morning  hori- 
zon. Wonderful  was  the  palace  wherein  dwelt  this  reputed 
son  of  the  beams  of  morning  light.  But  more  wonderful  still 
was  the  figure  of  Meneptah's  father.  King  Rameses  II.,  which 
stood  in  the  court-yard  of  the  palace.  Not  in  one  piece  did 
Mr.  Petrie  find  this  statue,  for  later  kings  had  sawn  it  asun- 
der, and  built  the  fragments  into  various  walls.  Enough 
of  these  were  found  to  show  the  proportions  of  the  figure. 


WONDERS  IN  THE  FIELD  OF  ZOAN.  189 


Surmounted  by  its  double  crown,  this  stone  king  towered  up 
to  the  height  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet.  There  stood 
he  yet  in  the  days  of  Meneptah.  There  stood  he  as  the  rep- 
resentative of  the  cruel,  haughty,  despots  of  Egypt,  who 
claimed  to  represent  the  unseen  deities  of  the  heavens. 
There  stood  he  in  the  midst  of  a  scene  of  great  natural 
beauty,  thus  described  by  an  Egyptian  poet  of  Moses'  time: 

"  I  arrived  in  the  city  of  Rameses-Meri-Amen,  and  I 
have  found  it  excellent,  for  nothing  can  compare  with  it  on 
the  Theban  land  and  soil.  Here  is  the  seat  of  the  court. 
It  is  pleasant  to  live  in.  Its  fields  are  full  of  good  things, 
and  life  passes  in  constant  plenty  and  abundance.  Its  ca- 
nals are  rich  in  fish  ;  its  lakes  swarm  with  birds  ;  its  mead- 
ows are  green  with  vegetables  ;  there  is  no  end  of  lentils  ; 
melons,  with  a  taste  like  honey,  grow  in  the  irrigated  fields. 
Its  barns  are  full  of  wheat  and  durra,  and  reach  as  high  as 
heaven.  Onions  and  sesame  are  in  the  enclosures,  and  the 
apple  tree  blooms.  The  vine,  the  almond  tree,  and  the  fig 
tree  grow  in  the  gardens."  * 

What  abundance  is  here  described  for  filling  up  those 
flesh-pots  afterwards  seen  in  the  wilderness  in  the  dreams  of 
the  Hebrews  !  This  capital  of  the  delta,  this  royal  city  of 
King  Meneptah,  was  now  to  become  the  scene  of  conflict  be- 
tween powers  heavenly  and  powers  infernal. 

"Wonders  in  the  Field  of  Zoan. 

"Against  all  the  gods  of  Egypt  I  will  execute  judgment ; 
I  am  Jehovah. "f  Thus  spake  the  Lord  near  the  close  of  the 
conflict  waged  upon  the  banks  of  the  Nile.  "  I  am  Jeho- 
vah ;  speak  thou  unto  Pharaoh,  King  of  Egypt.  .  *  .  . 
See,  I  have  made  thee  a  god  to  Pharaoh. "t  In  this  manner 
spake  the  Lord  in  the  beginning  of  the  battle.  It  was  in 
very  truth  a  great  battle  between  the  one  true  God,  the  Lord 
of  Hosts,  and  the  powers  of  the  false  gods.  Moses  and 
Aaron  were  simply  the  standard-bearers  and  ambassadors  of 
Jehovah,  while  King  Meneptah  represented  the  sun-gods  of 
Egypt.  Moses  wrought  miracles  as  "signs"  and  " won- 
ders,"§  showing  the  power  and  might  of  Jehovah.  The 
magicians  of  Meneptah  attempted  to  imitate  the  deeds  of 
the  messengers  of  God,   and   failed   at  the   critical   point. 

*  Brugsch,  pp.  299,  300.    +  Exod.  12 :  12.    X  Exod.  6 :  29 ;  7 :  1.    g  Ps.  78 :  42,  43. 


-X90  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


From  this  view  of  the  history  of  the  Exodus  we  discover 
how  great  is  this  epoch  in  the  growth  of  divine  revelation. 
Here  Jehovah  speaks  in  miraculous  manner  to  entire  na- 
tions. Hitherto  His  miracles  have  been  wrought  simply  to 
guide  and  to  teach  individuals,  the  single  heads  of  families, 
like  Abraham  and  Jacob.  But  now  we  have  the  age  of  mir- 
.acles.  The  finger  of  God  reaches  down  into  the  mechanism 
of  the  earth,  and  moves  it  at  His  will  in  such  manner  that 
the  Hebrew  nation  beholds  the  "signs"  of  His  presence, 
and  the  Egyptians  look  upon  the  "  wonders  "  which  He  can 
work.  No  such  age  as  this  has  since  dawned  upon  the 
earth.  The  incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ  represented  another 
period  of  miracle-working,  but  His  deeds  were  those  of 
healing  and  blessing.  The  day  of  judgment  upon  the  visi- 
ble manifestation  of  the  power  of  Satan  came  in  the  time 
of  Moses.  Once  for  all  upon  the  banks  of  the  Nile  was  the 
lesson  taught  that  Jehovah  is  God  above  all  gods. 

Just  here  springs  up  the  question,  Were  these  sun-deities 
of  Egypt  real  spiritual  beings  ?  John  Milton  in  Comus  and 
in  Paradise  Lost,  has  stated  his  opinion  that  all  these  heathen 
deities  were  the  fallen  angels,  cast  out  of  heaven  along  with 
Satan.  In  our  own  time.  Dr.  Charles  Robinson,*  with  others, 
has  accepted  virtually  the  same  view.  Against  the  gods  of 
Egypt  as  veritable  spiritual  powers  did  Jehovah  exercise 
His  power.  "  They  moved  Him  to  jealousy  with  strange  gods, 
with  abominations  provoked  they  Him  to  anger.  They  sac- 
rificed unto  demons  which  were  no  God,  to  gods  whom  they 
knew  not,  to  new  gods  that  came  up  of  late,  whom  your 
fathers  dreaded  not."f  These  gods,  say  this  school  of  inter- 
preters, belonged  to  that  hierarchy  of  spirits  called  "  demons  " 
in  the  New  Testament.  Therefore,  say  they,  the  deeds  of 
the  magicians  of  Meneptah  represented  real  effects  and  not 
slight-of-hand  results.  The  limited  number  of  magical  ef- 
fects possible  to  these  sorcerers  was  only  the  natural  limita- 
tion that  was  set  to  the  power  of  the  emissaries  of  Satan. 
This  may  have  been  the  case.  But  it  seems  more  probable 
that  the  deeds  of  Meneptah's  troupe  were  simply  the  handi- 
work of  skillful  sorcerers.  The  serpent  produced  by  them 
when  Moses'  rod  was  transformed  was  only  a  live  serpent, 
made  torpid  for  a  moment,  so  that  it  could  be  passed  off  as 

•The  Pharaohs  of  the  Bondage  and  the  Exodus.       +Deut. 


THE  SEVEN  DAYS'  DEATH  OF  THE  NILE-GOD.         191 


a  stiff  rod.  The  wisdom  of  Egypt  was  the  only  power  be- 
hind the  supposed  gods.  These  deities  had  their  being  only 
in  the  imagination  of  men.  The  powers  of  earth,  air,  and 
sky  were  personified  and  worshipped,  and  the  source  of  all 
existence  was  traced  to  the  sun.  His  regular  course  across 
the  sky  day  by  day,  the  shade  into  which  all  other  objects 
fell  during  his  absence,  had  elevated  the  king  of  light  as  the 
supreme  object  of  reverence,  and  the  giver  of  life  and  of 
law.  Now  fell  the  judgments  of  Jehovah  to  fix  a  new  law 
upon  the  course  of  nature,  and  to  show  another  source  of 
life  beyond  the  sun.  The  wisdom  of  men  was  paralyzed, 
the  powers  of  earth,  air,  and  sky,  became  dead  or  alive  at 
His  command,  and  the  supposed  gods  of  Egypt  vanished 
into  nothingness  when  His  name  was  declared. 

The  Seven  Days'  Death  of  the  Nile-god. 

The  first  stroke  of  the  warlike  sword  fell  at  the  hour  sa- 
cred to  King  Meneptah  himself.  One  of  his  special  titles 
was  "  the  living  Horus."  Now,  this  name  was  given  to  the 
sun  just  as  he  darted  his  earliest  beams  across  the  eastern 
desert  into  the  land  of  the  Nile.  He  represented  the  return 
of  life  after  the  death-like  darkness  of  night.  It  was  per- 
haps the  daily  custom  of  the  monarch  who  represented  the 
morning-sun,  upon  an  earthly  throne,  to  go  forth  at  this 
hour  of  growing  dawn  in  solemn  religious  ceremonial  to 
the  brink  of  the  river  Nile.  Old  Nilus  himself  was  a  holy 
stream,  another  representative  of  the  sun,  for  he  gave  life 
unto  all  the  land.  An  ancient  hymn  to  this  water-god  has 
come  down  to  us: 

"  Blessed  be  the  good  god, 
The  Nun-loving  Nile. 

The  father  of  the  gods  of  the  holy  Nine  dwelling  on  the  waters. 
The  plenty,  wealth,  and  food  of  Egypt. 
He  maketh  everybody  live  by  himself; 
Riches  are  on  his  path, 
And  plenteousness  is  in  his  fingers; 
The  pious  are  rejoiced  at  his  coming. 
Thou  art  alone  and  self-created. 
One  knoweth  not  whence  thou  art- 
But  on  the  day  thou  comest  forth  and  openest  thyself, 
Everybody  is  rejoicing. 
Thou  art  a  lord  of  many  fish  and  gifts, 
And  thou  bestowest  plenteousness  on  Egypt."* 

*  Records  of  the  Past,  X.,  p.  37. 


192  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


The  morning-ceremonial  of  Meneptah  was  simply  a  con- 
clave of  earthly  gods  in  honor  of  the  coming  of  their  heav- 
enly original.  But  this  particular  day  saw  astonishment 
written  upon  the  faces  of  the  Nile's  adorers.  When  the  as- 
sembled attendants  were  about  to  bow  the  knee  to  both  the 
king  and  the  Nile,  they  beheld  the  standard  of  Jehovah  up- 
held there  by  Moses  and  Aaron.  Defiance  was  written  in 
their  faces  and  the  words  of  challenge  were  upon  their  lips. 
In  the  name  of  Jehovah,  God  of  the  Hebrews,  was  formal  de- 
mand made  that  the  Pharaoh  should  let  His  people  go.  Since 
obstinate  refusal  was  still  the  policy  of  the  king,  then  Aaron 
"  lifted  up  the  rod  and  smote  the  waters  that  were  in  the 
river,  in  the  sight  of  Pharaoh  and  in  the  sight  of  his  ser- 
vants; and  all  the  waters  that  were  in  the  river  were  turned 
to  blood.  And  the  fish  that  was  in  the  river  died;  and  the 
river  stank  and  the  Egyptians  could  not  drink  of  the  water 
of  the  river;  and  there  was  blood  throughout  all  the  land  of 
Egypt."*  Not  merely  the  stream  of  the  Nile  was  thus  touched 
with  death,  but  all  the  water  that  stood  in  ponds,  or  pools, 
or  in  vessels.  The  only  source  of  water  in  the  land  was  the 
river;  and  whether  in  the  channel  or  outside,  the  life-giving 
fluid  was  changed  to  the  condition  of  a  stream  of  death. 

The  greatest  of  all  the  earthly  gods  of  the  land  was 
changed  in  its  very  nature.  It  oozed  along  its  slimy  banks 
as  the  very  symbol  of  death.  No  longer  did  it  bestow  bless- 
ing and  prosperity.  No  longer  did  it  gladden  the  hearts  of 
men.  It  ceased  to  be  the  artery  of  commerce,  the  highway 
for  vessels  of  burden.  The  very  sight  of  it  sent  a  thrill  of 
horror  deep  into  the  soul  of  every  Egyptian.  The  sun  came 
up  in  all  his  splendor  and  glory,  but  he  awakened  no  flash 
of  recognition  in  bright  waters.  The  claims  of  the  Nile  to 
be  the  sun's  representative — to  be  the  origin  of  life  unto  all 
the  land  and  all  the  people  thereof — these  claims  were 
stamped  as  false  forever.  The  word  of  Jehovah  by  the 
mouth  of  His  servant  Moses  had  sent  ignominy  and  defeat 
throughout  all  Egypt.  At  the  first  onset  Jehovah  was  tri- 
umphant over  the  Nile-god.  He  spared  the  lives  of  the  peo- 
ple during  this  week  of  the  god's  death.  They  digged  in  the 
sands  along  the  river-bank,  and  thus  in  the  bosom  of  the 
earth  were  permitted  still  to  find  drink.     The  magicians  of 


*  Exodus  7:  14-21. 


THE  PLAGUE  OF  FROGS.  193 


Meneptah  again  deceived  his  sight  by  marvellous  tricks. 
The  spectators  of  their  skill  seemed  to  see  the  water  changed 
to  blood.  At  least,  Pharaoh  made  their  performance  his  ex- 
cuse for  not  yielding  in  presence  of  Jehovah's  wondrous 
miracle.  He  stiffened  his  heart  into  obstinacy.  The  old 
cruelty  found  its  seat  in  his  breast,  and  as  he  became  ac- 
customed to  the  sight  of  the  dead  river-god,  he  persisted  in 
refusing  to  allow  the  Hebrew  people  depart  out  of  his  realm. 

The  Plague  of  Frogs. 

The  second  plague  was  another  blow  directed  at  the  Nile- 
god.  From  this  giver  of  all  good  there  now  came  forth  a 
loathsome  pest.  After  the  Nile-water  had  become  again 
clear  and  sweet,  Moses  stood  in  the  Pharaoh's  presence  with 
the  old  demand,  "  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  Let  my  people  go  that 
they  may  serve  me."*  But  the  heart  of  the  king  was  as  yet 
hardened,  and  he  refused  to  obey  Jehovah.  Then  was  the 
wonder-working  rod  of  Aaron  outstretched  over  "  the  river,"" 
and  "  the  frogs  came  up  and  covered  the  land  of  Egypt."  f 
The  word  used  in  the  Hebrew  narrative  indicates  a  species; 
of  frog  still  common  in  Egypt.  It  is  small  in  size,  makes; 
progress  chiefly  by  crawling,  and  literally  fills  the  land  with 
the  din  of  its  croakings.  A  fearful  gift  from  the  Nile-god 
was  this  loathsome  animal,  especially  since  he  came  in  such 
numbers  as  to  invade  the  houses  of  the  Egyptians,  their  bed- 
chambers and  their  beds,  even  their  ovens  and  their  knead- 
ing-troughs.+ 

If  the  worshippers  of  Nilus  had  supposed  their  god  recov- 
ered from  his  seven-days'  death  by  his  own  power,  such  a 
supposition  must  fall  to  the  ground  when  the  river  sent 
forth  a  curse  and  not  a  blessing.  His  sanctity  and  power  as 
a  deity  were  overthrown. 

But  this  second  plague  reached  farther  than  simply  to 
touch  with  paralysis  the  fabled  character  of  the  Nile-god. 
The  frog  himself  was  worshipped.  In  the  district  of  Beni- 
hassan,  made  memorable  by  the  inscriptions  of  the  kings  of 
the  twelfth  dynasty  contemporary  with  Abraham,  the  god 
Chnum  was  held  in  special  reverence.  This  deity's  wife 
bore  the  name  Heka,  and  was  represented  as  having  the 
head  of  a  frog.     Throughout  the  whole  land  the  frog  seems 

*Exod.8:l.       i-Exod.8:  6.       JExod.8:3. 

13 


194  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


to  have  been  numbered  among  the  symbols  of  the  resurrec- 
tion.* The  regular  appearance  of  this  animal  in  the  month 
of  September  out  of  the  waters  of  the  river  seemed  to  beto- 
ken life  of  a  different  order  springing  out  of  the  source  of 
all  Egyptian  life.  But  now  the  little  animal  came  in  such 
multitudes  as  to  indicate  the  horror  of  death  rather  than  the 
vigor  of  another  life.  The  symbolism  had  lost  its  signifi- 
cance and  another  deity  of  Egyptian  imagination  was  slain. 

Further  than  this,  the  family  of  King  Meneptah  himself 
seem  to  have  been  special  worshippers  of  the  frog.  A  vig- 
nette in  Mariette's  "  Fouilles  d'Abydos"  f  portrays  an  act  of 
w^orship  on  the  part  of  Meneptah's  grandfather,  Seti  I.,  who 
offered  wine  in  two  vases  to  a  frog  enshrined  in  a  small 
chapel,  with  the  legend,  "The  Sovereign  Lady  of  both  worlds." 
Perhaps  Meneptali  kept  up  the  adoration  for  this  great  deity. 
Not  only  as  a  family-god  of  this  nineteenth  dynasty,  but  as 
a  representative  of  the  animals  as  widely  w^orshipped  in 
Egypt,  the  frog  lost  his  ancient  sacred  honor  by  the  visita- 
tion of  Jehovah's  might. 

The  magicians  came  at  the  Pharaoh's  call,  and  in  some  me- 
chanical manner  brought  up  frogs  upon  the  land.  But  their 
powers  served  only  to  increase  the  plague,  not  to  diminish 
it.  Now  first  did  Pharaoh  cry  out  and  ask  for  deliverance. 
The  dishonor  of  the  frog-deity  seems  to  have  touched  him 
more  to  the  quick  than  did  the  disgrace  of  the  Nile.  "  In- 
treat  Jehovah  that  he  may  take  away  the  frogs  from  me  and 
from  my  people,  and  I  will  let  the  people  go  that  they  may  do 
sacrifice  unto  Jehovah. "+  A  distinct  advantage  in  the  conflict 
was  gained  by  Jehovah,  even  in  the  opinion  of  the  Pharaoh. 
He  had  been  brought  to  the  point  of  acknowledging  Jeho- 
vah's power.  From  this  time  onward,  so  far  as  Meneptah 
was  concerned,  the  strife  lay  between  his  conviction  and  his 
wishes.  Even  now,  when  he  saw  a  respite  granted,  and  the 
plague  stayed  at  Moses'  prayer,  his  obstinate  heart  got  the 
better  of  his  judgment,  and  he  refused  to  let  the  Hebrews  go. 

The  Ciirse  upon  the  Soil  of  the  Earth. 

Without  previous  announcement,  Jehovah  now  touched 
the  sacred  soil  of  the  Nile  valley,  and  it  became  a  plague  of 
lice  [Hebrew  Kinnim — a  word  found  nowhere  else.]     The 

*  Speaker's  Com.  on  Exodus,  p.  280.      f  Part  II.,  Vol.  I.,  p.  30.     |Exod.8:8. 


THE  CURSE  UPON  THE  SOIL  OF  THE  EARTH.  195 


earth  herself  was  one  of  the  gods  of  the  Egyptian  pantheon, 
and  bore  the  sacred  name  Seb.  Seb  and  Nut,  "the  earth," 
and  "  the  sky,"  were  father  and  mother  of  Osiris  and  Isis, 
chief  deities  in  one  of  the  myths  of  the  sun-god.  The  black, 
fertile  soil  of  the  Nile  basin  was  held  in  special  reverence  as 
a  part  of  this  great  earth  deity.  At  Jehovah's  command 
''Aaron  stretched  out  his  hand  with  his  rod,  and  smote  the 
dust  of  the  earth,  and  it  became  lice  in  man  and  in  beast  ; 
all  the  dust  of  the  land  became  lice  throughout  all  the  land 
of  Egypt."  *  _ 

The  extreme  limit,  of  the  power  of  the  magicians  was 
reached  in  the  presence  of  this  third  plague.  After  unavail- 
ing efforts  to  imitate  the  miracle,  they  turned  away  in  awe, 
crying  unto  the  Pharaoh,  "  This  is  the  finger  of  God."t  But 
the  king  hearkened  not  unto  his  minions.  His  heart  was 
set  in  its  course  of  obstinate  resistance. 

By  degrees  the  plagues  were  working  their  way  into  the 
very  centre  of  Egyptian  religious  rites.  Jehovah's  power 
began  its  manifestations  by  smiting  the  gods  who  had  their 
habitation  within  and  along  Egypt's  great  life-artery,  the 
river  Nile.  The  stream  itself,  the  frog  that  dwelt  in  the 
stream,  and  the  rich  earth  that  bordered  it  were  all  worship- 
ped as  gods,  and  were  all  now  smitten  and  made  into  curses 
by  the  finger  of  Jehovah.  In  addition  to  the  blows  directly 
aimed  at  these  deities,  there  fell  a  withering  curse  upon  the 
priests  and  their  ceremonies.  Extreme  cleanliness  was  en- 
joined upon  the  priestly  order.  Four  times  during  the 
twenty-four  hours  they  bathed  the  whole  body  in  pure  water. 
Once  in  every  three  days'  time,  they  shaved  the  body  in 
order  to  preserve  absolute  cleanliness.  Therefore,  when  the 
Nile  ran  blood,  for  seven  days  the  priestly  rites  were  profaned 
by  unclean  priests.  When  the  frogs  invaded  the  land,  they 
brought  unwholesome  filth  into  the  very  shrines  and  up  to 
the  altars,  and  now,  when  the  lice  were  upon  man  and  beast, 
what  a  cry  of  horror  must  have  ascended  at  sight  of  the 
sacred  officials  and  the  sacred  animals  covered  with  the 
loathsome  pest ! 

A  late  traveller.  Sir  Samuel  Baker,  refers  to  a  pest  now 
prevalent  in  Egypt  similar  to  this  third  plague.  The  insects 
swarm   "as  though   the  very  dust  were  turned  into  lice." 

*Exod.  8:  17.        +Exod.  8:  18, 19. 


196  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Increased  in  numbers  by  Jehovah's  power  until  the  very 
sorcerers  had  to  cry,  "  This  is  the  finger  of  God,"  how  dis- 
astrous to  Egyptian  superstition  must  have  been  the  blow! 
The  highest  order  of  men  in  the  kingdom  were  shorn  of 
their  prestige,  and  all  the  sacred  animal-gods  lost  their  hold 
upon  the  popular  reverence  at  the  visitation  of  this  pest  that 
swarmed  up  from  the  bosom  of  the  holy  earth. 

The  Atmosphere  Breeds  a  Plague,  but  not  upon  the  Hebrews. 

The  trio  of  plagues  upon  water,  creeping  animal,  and  soil 
were  past,  and  the  Pharaoh  took  courage  to  play  the  worship- 
per once  more.  Again  in  the  early  morning  light  he  stood  by 
the  Nile.  "  Let  m,y  people  go  that  they  may  serve  Me  "  rang 
out  upon  the  quiet  air.  The  Pharaoh  was  startled  and  then 
dismayed  to  see  Jehovah's  messengers  before  him.  Once 
again  he  saw  that  rod  of  power  waved,  and  lo  !  the  air-god 
brought  forth  swarms  of  pestilential  insects.  The  god  Shu, 
son  of  the  sun-god  Ra,  was  the  personification  of  the  atmos- 
phere. Upon  the  wings  of  the  atmosphere's  breath  there 
now  came  swarms  of  dog-flies,  or  perhaps  they  were  beetles. 
If  the  latter,  then  a  veritable  deity  of  the  land  was  thus 
changed  to  a  biting  pest.  The  sun-god  himself,  in  the 
character  of  creator  (Chephra),  is  represented  in  the  form 
of  a  beetle.  This  symbol  of  creative  power  swarmed  as  an 
agent  of  destruction.  But  not  upon  the  land  of  Goshen 
came  this  fourth  plague.  Jehovah  guarded  His  own  people 
from  the  attack  of  these  winged  Egyptian  deities  and  turned 
them  only  against  their  own  worshippers.  Even  the  Pharaoh 
for  the  moment  lost  faith  in  Chephra  and  cried  out  unto 
Moses,  Go,  but  sacrifice  to  your  God  within  the  borders  of 
Egypt. 

Then  the  religious  character  of  the  warfare  was  brought 
to  the  front  in  the  answer  of  Moses.  It  is  not  meet  to  offer 
up  slain  animals  here  in  this  beast-worshipping  land,  cried 
the  Hebrew.  "  We  shall  sacrifice  the  abomination  of  the 
Egyptians  to  Jehovah  our  God,  ....  and  will  they 
not  stone  us?"*  The  creeds  of  the  Hebrew  and  of  the 
Egyptian  presented  a  complete  antagonism.  Egypt's  animal- 
gods  were  demanded  by  Jehovah  in  sacrifice  unto  Himself. 
His  worship  meant  the  utter  annihilation  of  the  Pharaoh's 

*  Exod.  8,  26. 


CURSES  UPON  CATTLE  AND  UPON  PEOPLE.  197 


ritual.  In  sullen  compliance  the  Pharaoh  gave  permission, 
and  then  at  once  withdrew  it.  His  heart  was  made  bitter  by 
the  dishonor  cast  upon  his  supposed  gods,  and  he  still  refused 
to  let^ Israel  go.* 

Curses  upon  the  Cattle  and  upon  the  People. 

For  the  fifth  time  and  for  the  sixth  fell  Jehovah's  plagues 
upon  the  Egyptians,  but  upon  the  Hebrews  in  Goshen  fell 
the}''  not.  From  across  the  border  returned  the  Pharaoh's  mes- 
sengers to  say  that  Israel  had  escaped  the  curse  of  murrain 
upon  the  cattle  upon  the  specific  day  before  named  by  Jeho- 
vah. Upon  '*  the  cattle  in  the  field,  upon  the  horses,  upon 
the  asses,  upon  the  camels,  upon  the  oxen,  and  upon  the 
sheep  "  of  the  Pharaoh's  people  came  this  disease,  so  that  "  all 
the  cattle  of  Egypt  died."t  The  chief  part  of  the  property 
of  his  subjects  was  destroyed.  The  royal  herds  died  along 
with  the  horse  and  the  ass  and  the  ox  of  the  poorest  sub- 
ject. In  many  districts  were  some  of  these  cattle  of  the 
field  worshipped  as  gods.  Indiscriminate  death  was  now 
visited  upon  these  supposed  givers  of  life. 

Man's  own  person  was  at  length  touched  in  the  sixth 
plague.  Borne  along  by  the  air-god  came  the  ashes  of  the 
furnace,  inflicting  boils  by  the  very  touch  of  a  grain  of 
dust.  Moses  was  casting  defiance  in  the  very  face  of  all  the 
gods  of  Egypt  when  he  stood  before  the  Pharaoh  and  cast  the 
ashes  toward  the  face  of  the  heavens.  Upon  the  magicians, 
upon  the  persons  of  the  royal  family,  the  sons  of  the  sun, 
upon  the  persons  of  the  priests  fell  this  curse-bearer  out  of 
the  surrounding  atmosphere.  The  gods  seemed  to  be  look- 
ing down  in  mockery  upon  the  suffering  multitudes  whom 
they  were  supposed  to  deliver.  There  may  have  been  some 
connection  between  this  act  of  Moses  in  scattering  ashes  and 
an  old  practice  current  among  the  Hyksos  kings  of  offering 
human  victims  to  the  god  Sutech  and  then  scattering  the 
ashes  of  the  victims.  This  deity  (Sutech)  was  of  Canaan- 
itish  origin  and  corresponded  virtually  to  the  god  Baal,  or 
Bel,  the  sun-god  of  the  Babylonians.  His  worship  was 
brought  into  Egypt  by  the  shepherd  kings,  and  at  Helio- 
polis  human  sacrifices  were  at  one  time  offered  to  him. 
Sutech   was   incorporated   into  the   Egyptian   pantheon  as 

*  Exod.  8 :  25-32.        +  Exod.  9, 1-7. 


198  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Set,  son  of  Seb,  the  earth.  Set  represented  darkness,  as 
opposed  to  Horus,  the  morning  light.  Now,  when  we 
remember  that  Meneptah's  grandfather,  Seti,  "the  follower 
of  Set,"  was  named  after  this  god,  we  can  readily  see  what 
dread  memories  would  be  called  up  to  Meneptah  by  the 
defiant  Moses  as  he  sowed  the  ashes  to  the  wind.  The 
source  of  a  dread  curse  upon  all  the  people  had  this  evil 
god  become — a  god  whose  very  name  formed  part  of  the 
royal  inheritance  of  King  Meneptah,  The  power  of  Jeho- 
vah went  abroad  through  all  the  land  with  the  scattered 
ashes,  proclaiming  the  overthrow  of  the  patron  deit}''  of  the 
house  of  Meneptah,  of  Rameses,  and  of  Seti.  But  the  Pha- 
raoh's heart  became  more  and  more  like  stone,  and  he 
refused  to  let  Israel  go. 

The  Pharaoh's  Heart  Hardened. 

After  the  sixth  plague  the  magicians  confessed  their  defeat 
and  retired  from  the  contest.  But  the  Pharaoh  yet  continued 
his  stubborn  resistance  to  the  will  of  Jehovah.  Henceforth 
the  narrative  declares  that  the  heart  of  the  monarch  himself 
was  the  arena  of  battle.  The  Pharaoh  persisted  in  his  opposi- 
tion, heedless  of  the  remonstrances  offered  hy  his  own  people, 
temporarily  touched  but  not  permanently  affected  by  his 
own  fears,  and  finally  indifferent  to  the  warnings  of  Jeho- 
vah. When  Moses  now  again  stood  in  the  Pharaoh's  presence 
the  message  delivered  was  more  than  ever  a  personal  one. 
"  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  God  of  the  Hebrews,  Let  my  people 
go  that  they  may  serve  Me.  For  I  will  at  this  time  send  all 
my  plagues  upon  thine  heart  and  upon  thy  servants  and 
upon  thy  people,  that  thou  mayest  know  that  there  is  none 
like  Me  in  all  the  earth.  For  now  indeed  had  I  stretched 
forth  my  hand  and  smitten  thee  and  thy  people  with  the 
pestilence.  Then  hadst  thou  been  cut  off  from  the  earth; 
hut  in  very  deed  for  this  cause  have  I  made  thee  to  stand  for  to 
show  thee  My  power  and  that  My  name  may  he  declared  through- 
out all  the  earth." 

The  specific  purpose   of  Jehovah   in   this   great  struggle 
reaclned  out  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  and  concerned  His  own 
power  and  His  own  name;  but  the  Pharaoh  had  been  raised 
up  to  serve  as  an  instrument  in  God's  hands.     Not  an  instru-  , 
ment  unwilling,  nor   an  instrument  irresponsible,  but  one 


TEE  PHARAOH'S  HEART  HARDENED.  199 


that  lived  and  acted  his  own  Avill  upon  the  field  of  battle. 
His  temper  fluctuated.  His  mind  was  subject  to  temporary 
changes,  but  the  underlying  principle  of  stubborn  hate  and 
willful  cruelty  hurried  the  king  into  open  blaspheni}"  against 
the  God  of  hosts.  This  is  termed  in  the  sacred  narrative 
the  hardening  of  the  Pharaoh's  heart. 

From  first  to  last  in  this  biography  of  Meneptah  we  find 
just  nineteen  references  made  to  the  hardening  of  his  heart. 
Eleven  times  is  the  statement  made  that  God  was  the  author 
of  the  hardening;  thrice  is  it  declared  that  Pharaoh  hard- 
ened his  own  heart,  and  in  five  cases  occurs  the  simple 
assertion  that  the  king's  heart  was  hardened.  Now,  the 
revised  version  comes  to  our  assistance  with  a  more  exact 
rendering  of  the  different  Hebrew  words  used  to  describe  this 
process  of  growth  in  evil.  The  first  phase  of  the  hardening 
was  due  to  the  Pharaoh  himself.  When  the  demand  came  to 
him  that  he  should  let  Jehovah's  people  go  forth  from  ille- 
gal slavery,  the  avarice  of  the  Pharaoh  gained  control  and  he 
stiffened  his  own  temper  into  dull,  stupid  obstinacy,  so  that 
his  "heart  resisted."  This  resistance  continued  long  after 
the  magicians  surrendered  and  repented.  Their  advice  to  the 
king  was  rejected,  and  the  Pharaoh  bent  himself  more  and 
more  to  the  task  of  keeping  Israel  in  bondage.  He  might 
have  repented  along  with  his  servants,  but  he  was  not  at 
all  inclined  to  submission.  "Let  these  men  go  and  serve 
Jehovah  their  god.  Knowest  thou  not  yet  that  Egypt  is 
destroyed?"*  Thus  cried  the  servants  of  the  Pharaoh  after  the 
plague  of  thunder  and  hail  and  fire  had  fallen  "upon  man 
and  upon  beast  and  upon  every  herb  of  the  field  throughout 
the  land  of  Egypt." f  Death  and  ruin  were  spread  through- 
out the  land  by  the  hail-stones  that  were  sent  to  teach  the 
king  the  impotence  of  his  own  gods  and  to  show  him  "  how 
that  the  earth  is  the  Lord's."  +  For  a  moment,  indeed,  the 
heart  of  the  king  seemed  to  yield,  for  in  the  midst  of  the 
terror  inspired  by  the  plague  he  cried  to  Moses  and  Aaron, 
"I  have  sinned  this  time;  the  Lord  is  righteous  and  I  and 
my  people  are  wicked. "§  But  when  the  fear  was  past  the 
king  "  sinned  yet  more  and  hardened  his  heart,  he  and  his 
servants."! 

•Exod.lO:7.      fExod.  9:22.      JExod.9:29.      §Exod.9:27.      ||Exod.9:34. 


200  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Then  at  the  word  of  the  Lord  the  heavens  became  dark 
with  a  great  cloud  of  locusts,  sent  to  ''  eat  the  residue  of  that 
which  is  escaped,  which  remaineth  unto  you  from  the  hail."* 
At  the  approach  of  the  cloud  of  insects  the  hearts  of  the  Pha- 
roah's  servants  were  turned  to  complete  submission,  and 
they  spake  to  the  king  in  the  words  quoted  above.  The  sky 
— home  of  their  gods — was  turned  into  the  home  of  curses 
multitudinous  by  the  power  of  Jehovah.  For  another  brief 
moment,  fear  gained  control  of  Meneptah.  "  Go  serve  Je- 
hovah, your  god;  go  now,  ye  that  are  men,"f  he  said,  to 
Moses.  Ready  to  compromise,  but  not  to  surrender,  was 
the  stubborn  old  king.  And  then  as  the  locusts,  objects  of 
worship  .before  among  the  Egyptians,  became  a  creeping 
pest  that  "  covered  the  face  of  the  whole  earth  so  that  the 
land  was  darkened, "+  and  all  verdure  was  destroyed,  "  Pha- 
raoh called  for  Moses  and  Aaron  in  haste;  and  he  said,  I 
have  sinned  against  Jehovah,  your  god,  and  against  you. 
Now,  therefore,  forgive,  I  pray  thee,  my  sin  only  this  once, 
and  entreat  Jehovah,  your  god,  that  He  may  take  away  from 
me  this  death  only."  §  Moses  did  entreat  the  Lord,  and  a 
mighty  wind  came  to  sweep  all  the  locusts  into  the  Red  Sea. 
At  this  juncture,  "  the  Lord  hardened  Pharaoh's  heart  so 
that  he  would  not  let  the  children  of  Israel  go."||  The  ju- 
dicial sentence  of  Jehovah  began  to  fall  upon  a  heart  that 
continued  obstinate.  Up  to  this  time  had  Pharaoh  closed 
the  doors  of  his  own  heart  against  justice  and  mercy.  He 
had  added  falseness  to  cruelty.  He  had  broken  his  word  as 
a  man  and  as  a  king.  He  pretended  submission  unto  God 
and  when  the  plague  was  removed  became  more  defiant  and 
rebellious.  Even  in  this  last  appeal  for  Jehovah's  forgive- 
ness the  Pharaoh  was  not  sincere.  The  demand  for  Israel's 
departure  had  never  yet  been  granted.  To  ask  forgiveness, 
with  that  divine  injunction  unheeded,  was  simply  a  cry  of 
defiance  mingled  with  a  request  for  lighter  punishment.  It 
was  the  same  course  as  if  an  open  rebel  should  keep  his  flag 
aloft  and  his  sword  drawn  and  at  the  same  time  should  ask 
his  lawful  sovereign  to  hurl  a  smaller  number  of  darts 
against  him.  Meneptah's  heart  was  all  the  while  resisting 
Jehovah's  demands,  and  at  last  there  came  a  time  when  .Je- 
hovah declared  that  the  falseness  and  sternness  of  the  king 

*Exod.lO:  5.    +Exod.lO:  8,  U.    t  Exod.lO:  13, 15.    §Exod.  10:  16,18.    ||  Exod.  10:  20. 


THE  PHARAOH'S  HEART  HARDENED.  201 


should  be  tolerated  only  a  little  while  longer.  What  was  it 
that  Jehovah  did  when  he  hardened  Pharaoh's  heart?  Ex- 
actly the  same  thing  that  he  did  all  the  while  from  the  be- 
ginning, viz.,  making  demand  for  Israel's  release  and  send- 
ing plagues  upon  the  obdurate  king.  There  was  no  exer- 
cise of  external  constraint  upon  the  Pharaoh.  Until  the  very 
last  the  king  was  still  free  to  yield.  I)ntil  the  last  he  re- 
mained stern  and  stubborn.  Until  the  very  end,  we  are 
told,  now  that  Pharaoh  hardened  his  own  heart,  now  that  Je- 
hovah did  the  hardening.  What,  then,  can  be  the  mean- 
ing of  these  statements?  Only  this,  that  the  cruel  Menep- 
tah  hardened  his  own  heart  from  first  to  last;  that  his 
stubborn  resolution  grew  in  intensity  until  his  harsh  pur- 
pose was  fixed  and  hardened.  All  that  Jehovah  did  was 
simply  to  declare  that  this  trial  of  Meneptah  should  be  de- 
cisive— that  the  process  should  continue  in  the  same  man- 
ner until  the  end.  He  determined  that  the  demand  should  be 
kept  before  the  Pharaoh  until  the  king  should  cease  to  vacil- 
late and  to  make  false  promises  and  should  either  yield  or 
turn  his  own  heart  to  very  stone  in  its  stubborn  defiance. 
Meneptah  deliberately  chose  the  latter  course.  Nor  are  we 
surprised  when  we  see  the  stern,  coarse  features  of  his  father, 
Rameses  II.,  in  the  museum  at  Cairo.  Meneptah  did  ex- 
actly as  we  should  expect  such  a  tyrant  to  do.  He  declared 
himself  the  open  and  determined  enemy  of  God.  God's 
hardening  of  the  Pharaoh's  heart  means  nothing  more  nor 
less  than  this,  that  He  determined  that  Meneptah  must  show 
himself  in  his  true  colors  before  all  the  world.  God  de- 
manded that  the  king  of  Egypt  must  choose  the  side  on 
which  he  would  stand,  and  then  must  he  stand  there  boldly 
to  take  all  the  consequences.  The  Lord  did  not  choose  for  the 
Pharaoh,  nor  does  He  make  choice  for  any  man,  but  He  did 
declare  that  this  rebel  against  His  law,  this  oppressor  of  His 
people  should  stand  forth  from  his  covert  of  superstition 
and  cruelty  and  falseness  in  order  that  God's  power  might 
be  shown  in  overcoming  such  a  leader  of  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness. For  such  a  purpose  did  Jehovah  raise  up  Meneptah, 
the  king  of  Egypt. 

This  interpretation  of  the  Pharaoh's  career  is  in  exact  ac- 
cord with  the  part  played  by  Moses.  At  first,  the  same  com- 
mand came  unto  Moses  that  came  to  Meneptah.     Moses  was 


202  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


bidden  to  lead  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  and  the  king  was  com- 
manded to  let  Israel  depart.  In  effect,  these  orders  were 
identical.  The  first  act  of  Moses  was  like  the  first  act  of 
Meneptah.  Moses  refused  to  lead  the  people,  and  the  king 
refused  to  let  them  go.  Then  three  miracles  were  wrought 
before  Moses,  and  he  repented  and  yielded  himself  as  God's 
servant.  These  same  miracles  were  wrought  before  the 
king,  but  his  heart  began  to  resist  and  he  began  to  declare 
himself  as  God's  enemy.  Exactly  the  same  treatment  was 
used  by  Jehovah  in  the  case  of  Moses  and  Meneptah.  The 
different  results  were  due  to  the  character  of  the  men  them- 
selves. Each  was  free  to  choose  his  course  in  life;  the  one 
made  choice  of  obedience,  the  other  of  disobedience.  In 
both  cases  did  Jehovah  show  only  love  and  mercy.  As 
Theodoret  declares:  "The  sun  by  the  action  of  heat  makes 
wax  moist  and  mud  dry,  hardening  the  one  while  it  softens 
the  other,  by  the  same  operation  producing  exactly  opposite 
results;  thus  from  the  long-suffering  of  God  some  derive 
benefit  and  others  harm,  some  are  softened  while  others  are 
hardened."  * 

The  part  that  God's  mercy  played  in  the  history  of  Men- 
eptah is  striking.  Ample  time  for  reflection  and  repent- 
ance was  allowed  the  king.  Nearly  a  year  was  occupied  in 
sending  the  ten  plagues.  The  first  one  came  about  the  middle 
of  the  month  of  June,  at  the  time  of  the  anniial  overflowing 
of  the  Nile;  the  fourth  plague  of  swarms  of  insects  was  sent 
early  in  the  month  of  November  when  the  inundation  was 
abating  and  the  first  traces  of  vegetation  appeared  on  the 
deposit  of  fresh  soil.f  Then  in  December  appeared  the  fifth 
plague  of  the  murrain  of  beasts,  and  about  the  middle  of 
February,  when  "the  barley  was  in  the  ear  and  the  flax  was 
boiled, "+  or  in  blossom,  came  the  seventh  plague  of  hail. 
Now  was  the  time  growing  short.  Probabl}^  in  March  ap- 
peared the  locusts.  All  the  more  like  rock  was  the  Pharaoh's 
heart,  in  spite  of  these  opportunities.  Yet  twice  again  will 
the  Lord  call,  if  perchance  the  king  will  hearken  and  yield. 
Yet  another  month  will  He  permit  the  time  to  run  wherein 
Meneptah  may  repent  and  be  obedient  unto  the  Lord  ere 
the  power  of  Jehovah  shall  be  visited  upon  the  king  and 
upon  all  the  gods  of  Egypt. 

♦Quoted  in  Speaker's  Com.  on  Exodus,    f  Speaker's  Exodus,  8:  20.    t  Exodus  9:  31. 


THE  DARKNESS  THAT  COULD  BE  FELT.  203 


The  Darkness  that  Could  be  Felt. 

The  ninth  plague  fell  upon  the  land  of  Egypt  without  a 
word  of  warning.  The  heart  of  Meneptah  had  become  like 
stone  even  while  he  was  yet  speaking  the  mockery  of  an  in- 
sincere petition  for  pardon.  "  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Mo- 
ses, stretch  out  thine  hand  toward  heaven,  that  there  may 
be  darkness  over  the  land  of  Egypt,  even  darkness  which 
may  be  felt."  *  The  hand  of  the  patriarch  was  raised  and 
down  upon  the  people  came  the  folds  of  a  thick  darkness 
that  continued  to  envelop  them  for  three  days.  "  They  saw 
not  one  another,  neither  rose  any  from  his  place  for  three 
days:  but  all  the  children  of  Israel  had  light  in  their  dwell- 
ings." t 

What  a  time  of  deep  horror  was  that  period  of  darkness 
along  the  Nile!  The  total  eclipse  of  Egyptian  faith!  Ra, 
the  sun-god,  chief  of  all  the  gods,  was  apparently  blotted 
out  of  existence.  The  source  of  all  life  and  the  giver  of  all 
good  had  himself  ceased  to  exist.  Not  a  single  ray  of  light 
pierced  the  awful  gloom.  The  sense  of  sight  was  gone  and 
eyeballs  ached.  ■  In  stillness,  in  silence  and  in  black  dark- 
ness sat  each  one  in  his  place,  bowed  to  the  earth  in  gloom 
that  could  be  felt  with  the  ends  of  the  fingers;  yea,  and  felt 
far  more  by  the  tendrils  of  the  heart.  It  was  the  darkness 
of  despair  in  the  Egyptian's  heart,  for  all  his  gods  were 
gone  when  Ra  had  lost  his  light-beams.  At  one  blow  the 
Jehovah  of  the  Hebrews  had  blotted  out  the  heavens,  the 
home  of  all  the  chief  deities,  the  divine  light-bearers, 
Horus,  the  morning  sun,  and  Ra,  the  noonday  sun,  and 
Turn,  the  evening  sun,  were  all  alike  shrouded  in  a  pall  of 
darkness,  the  symbol  of  death. 

The  plague  of  darkness  dried  up  the  Egyptian  religion 
at  the  fountain — cut  it  up  by  the  roots.  It  was  sent  in  such 
manner  that  the  Egyptians  recognized  the  hand  of  Jehovah. 
They  saw  the  blow  of  the  One  God  aimed  at  the  flimsy 
structure  of  their  superstition.  Some  have  supposed  that  a 
natural  occurrence,  a  storm  of  sand  from  the  desert,  was 
heightened  in  its  effects  so  that  it  produced  the  impression 
of  supernatural  agency.  After  the  vernal  equinox  in 
Egypt,  travellers  tell  us,  a  periodical  gale  sweeps  up  from 
the  southwestern   desert   for   two  or  three  days  at  a  time 

*  Exod.  10 :  21.       +  Exod.  10 :  23. 


204  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


during  the  space  of  fifty  days.  This  wind  "  fills  the  atmos- 
phere with  dense  masses  of  fine  sand,  bringing  on  a  dark- 
ness far  deeper  than  that  of  our  worst  fogs  in  winter. 
While  it  lasts  'no  man  rises  from  his  place;  men  and 
beasts  hide  themselves;  people  shut  themselves  up  in  the 
innermost  apartments  or  vaults.'  So  saturated  is  the  air 
with  the  sand  that  it  seems  to  lose  its  transparency,  so  that 
artificial  light  is  of  little  use.*  Here  we  find  an  analogy 
for  a  darkness  that  could  be  felt!  The  hand  of  God  was  in 
it,  however,  for  the  darkness  came  not  upon  the  land  of 
Goshen  and,  moreover,  the  Pharaoh  had  never  seen  the  like 
before.  It  was  a  visitation  from  Jehovah,  in  his  opinion, 
for  he  cried  out  upon  the  instant  unto  Moses:  "Go  ye; 
serve  the  Lord;  only  let  your  flocks  and  your  herds  be 
stayed  ;  let  your  little  ones  also  go  with  you."t 

The  old  king  was  deceptive  and  scheming  to  the  last.  He 
wished  to  hold  the  property  of  the  Hebrews  as  a  pledge  of 
their  return.  But  in  proportion  to  Meneptah's  falseness, 
the  courage  of  Moses  grew  apace.  "  Our  cattle  also  shall 
go  with  us;  there  shall  not  an  hoof  be  left  behind;  for 
thereof  must  we  take  to  serve  Jehovah  our  God."t 

It  was  a  clearly-drawn  issue  between  Jehovah  on  the  one 
side  and  Meneptah  and  Ra  on  the  other;  service  unto  the  one 
or  unto  the  other  and  not  a  hostage  left  behind  to  indicate 
a  divided  obedience.  And  yet,  with  the  sun-god's  complete 
eclipse  fresh  in  memory,  Meneptah  rushed  blindly  onward 
in  his  stubborn  contest  and  brought  down  the  last  crushing 
blow  of  Jehovah  upon  every  household  among  the  Egyp- 
tians. 

Judgment  against  all  the  Gods  of  Egypt. 

"  I  will  pass  through  the  land  of  Egypt  this  night,  and 
will  smite  all  the  first-born  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  both  man 
and  beast;  and  against  all  the  gods  of  Egypt  I  will  execute 
judgment;  I  am  Jehovah. "§  Thus  ran  the  divine  procla- 
mation announcing  that  the  great  battle  was  about  to  termi- 
nate. The  tenth  and  last  visitation  of  God's  power  upon 
the  land  in  the  form  of  plague  was  the  death  of  the  first- 
born. This  was  a  final  assault  against  the  gods  of  Menep- 
tah and  his  people.     Herein  was  summed  up  the  meaning 

♦Speaker's  Com.  Ex.  10:  21.       +Exod.  10:  24.       lExod.  10:  26.       gExod.  12:  12. 


JUDGMENT  AGAINST  ALL  THE  GODS  OF  EGYPT.        205 


of  the  whole  strife.  It  was  the  God  of  the  Hebrews  against 
the  deities  of  the  Nile  and  universal  death  was  now  to  be 
sent  upon  those  objects  of  worship  which  had  hitherto  been 
brought  low  in  shame  and  disgrace.  The  powers  of  nature 
were  the  primary  objects  of  reverence.  These  had  already- 
been  made  to  show  their  complete  subjection  to  the  power 
of  Him  who  created  them.  But  each  of  these  nature-dei- 
ties had  its  animal  representative.  Every  form  of  animal 
life,  from  man  down  to  the  lowest  insect,  was  held  sacred 
in  one  place  or  another  as  the  type  of  some  patron 
deity.  The  eldest  son  of  the  king  was  the  divine  son  of  the 
sun  and  heir  to  the  royal  throne.  The  lowest  form  of  beetle 
life  was  the  type  of  some  heavenly  being.  The  death  that 
came  unto  the  first-born  among  all  these  grades  of  animate 
existence  marked  the  complete  triumph  of  Jehovah.  These 
imagined  deities,  who  had  their  being  solely  in  the  crude 
superstitions  of  the  people  of  the  Nile,  were  sealed  unto 
everlasting  contempt.  The  hand  of  Moses  was  used  as  the 
agent  of  this  desolating  curse.  Jehovah  Himself  came  in 
person  and  "  smote  all  the  first-born  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 
from  the  first-born  of  Pharaoh  that  sat  on  his  throne  unto 
the  first-born  of  the  captive  that  was  in  the  dungeon;  and 
all  the  first  born  of  cattle.  And  Pharaoh  rose  up  in  the 
night,  he  and  all  his  servants  and  all  the  Egyptians;  and 
there  was  a  great  cry  in  Egypt;  for  there  was  not  a  house 
where  there  was  not  one  dead."* 

For  the  time,  Meneptah  and  his  people  were  overcome..- 
They  were  ready  to  acknowledge  the  infinite  power  of  Jeho- 
vah. The  Pharaoh  saw  how  vain  were  all  subterfuges.  He 
must  yield  the  field  of  battle.  ''And  he  called  for  Moses 
and  Aaron  by  night,  and  said:  "Rise  up  and  get  you  forth 
from  my  people,  both  ye  and  the  children  of  Israel;  and  go, 
serve  Jehovah  as  ye  have  said.  Also  take  your  flocks  and 
your  herds,  as  ye  have  said,  and  be  gone;  and  bless  me  also."\ 
The  Pharoah's  heart  was  paralyzed  with  fear;  his  opposition 
was,  for  the  moment,  at  an  end,  because  he  could  see  no  further 
method  of  resistance.  God's  judgment  upon  the  gods  of 
Egypt  was  complete.  The  slaughter  of  the  Hebrew  chil- 
dren at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  Moses,  a  measure  taken  to 
continue  the  power  of  Egypt's  kings  and  her  gods,  was  now 

*Exod.  12:  29,  so.        +Exod.  12:  31,  32. 


206  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


brought  back  upon  the  head  of  Meneptah,  the  son  of  the 
murderer,  Rameses.  The  long  resistance  of  the  Egyp- 
tians against  God,  and  against  His  people,  was  now  pun- 
ished in  this  awful  visit  of  the  midnight  death-messenger. 
And  now,  when  the  Hebrews  asked  of  the  Egyptians,  "  Jew- 
els of  silver  and  jewels  of  gold  and  raiments,"  these  were 
all  given  with  gladness.  For  the  conscience  of  these  people 
of  the  Nile  seems  to  have  been  aroused.  They  hastened  to 
make  some  reparation  for  the  long  years  of  oppression  they 
had  visited  upon  Israel.  Willingly  did  they  give  their  trea- 
sure unto  these  brick-makers  as  compensation  in -part  for 
their  enforced  toil,  and  in  order  that  they  might  hasten  the 
departure  of  a  people,  who  were  under  the  guidance  of  a 
God  who  struck  fear  to  their  hearts.  The  Egyptians  be- 
lieved in  God  and  trembled,  but  to  love  Him  and  trust  Him, 
as  counsellor  and  guide,  far  too  hardened  in  sin  were  their 
hearts  to  yield  obedience  of  that  kind. 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  PASSOVER.  207 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
From  Heliopolis  to  Sinai. 

The  Sacrifice  of  the  Passover. 

THE  institution  of  the  formal  religious  life  of  the  Hebrews 
took  place  in  the  same  night  with  the  death  of  the  first- 
born of  the  Egyptians.  The  offering  of  sacrifices  as  prac- 
ticed by  Noah  and  Abraham,  had  probably  been  left  in  abey- 
ance by  the  Hebrews  in  Egypt.  Perhaps  they  were  not  per- 
mitted to  ofter  up  those  animals  that  were  held  sacred  by  the 
people  of  the  Nile.  Perhaps  they  forgot  that  reverence  to- 
ward God  which  had  marked  Jacob  and  Joseph.  But  now 
were  the}'-  called  back  to  the  religious  rite  of  the  patriarchs 
in  the  sacrifice  enjoined  upon  them.  At  the  same  time  were 
they  led  a  step  forward  in  the  matter  of  ritualistic  forms, 
when  a  symbolic  character  was  attached  to  the  sacrifice.  The 
God  who  delivered  Moses  and  his  brethren,  was  the  same 
God  who  taught  Abraham;  but  now  began  he  to  teach  the 
Hebrew  children  in  accordance  with  a  more  advanced 
method.  The  period  of  syw.hoUsm  in  Revelation,  was  inau- 
gurated in  the  sacrifice  of  the  Passover.  Not  a  symbolism 
that  was  gradually  developed  by  the  use  of  a  graded  system 
of  types  and  shadows.  Fully  developed  in  the  very  begin- 
ning was  this  divine  method  of  Revelation.  The  first  sac- 
rifice ordained  in  Egypt  was  a  type  of  the  Lamb  of  God, 
slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 

Ten  months  had  elapsed  since  the  beginning  of  the 
plagues.  The  month  Abib  or  Nisan  was  at  hand,  corres- 
ponding to  our  April.  Although  June  was  the  opening 
month  in  the  Egyptian  calendar,  yet  unto  the  Hebrews  there 
was  now  ordained  a  diff'erent  opening  of  the  year.  "  This 
month  [Nisan,  or  April]  shall  be  unto  you  the  beginning  of 
months;  it  shall  be  the  first  month  of  the  year  to  you."* 
The  formal  dedication  of  this  sacred  month  was  to  be  marked 
by  a  sacrifice,  and  by  the  departure  of  Israel  from  Egypt. 

*Exod.  12:  2. 


208  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


A  lamb  without  blemish,  a  male  of  the  first  year,  from  the 
sheep  or  from  the  goats,  was  to  be  selected  by  each  house- 
hold on  the  tenth  day  of  the  month.  In  solemn  assembly, 
the  congregation  of  Israel,  each  household  gathered  together, 
slew  the  lamb  on  the  evening  of  the  fourteenth  day  of  the 
month.  The  blood  of  the  lamb  was  sprinkled  by  the  father 
of  each  family  on  the  two  side-posts,  and  on  the  upper  door- 
post of  the  house.  That  same  night  they  ate  the  flesh  of 
the  lamb,  roast  with  fire;  with  unleavened  bread  and  with 
bitter  herbs  did  they  eat  it.  With  girded  loins  and  feet 
ready  shod,  and  with  a  staff  in  the  hand  did  they  eat  this 
feast — for  lo!  just  as  they  were  concluding  the  solemn  festi- 
val, the  word  of  the  Lord  came,  and  they  were  off  upon  the 
great  journey. 

This  sacrifice  was  the  formal  renewal  of  their  vows  to  be 
the  children  of  the  God  of  Abraham.  It  was  God's  formal 
acceptance  of  them  as  His  own  forever.  "  The  blood  shall 
be  to  you  for  a  token  upon  the  houses  where  ye  are;  and 
when  I  see  the  blood,  I  will  pass  over  you  and  the  plague 
shall  not  be  upon  you."  *  A  sigri  of  mercy  unto  Israel  was 
the  blood  of  the  sacrifice.  "  And  this  day  shall  be  unto  you 
for  a  memorial,  and  ye  shall  keep  it  a  feast  to  the  Lord 
throughout  your  generations;  3'^e  shall  keep  it  a  feast  b}'  an 
ordinance  forever."f  The  entire  feast  itself,  the  eating  of 
the  lamb,  was  to  be  unto  Israel  a  symbol  of  national  deliver- 
ance, afterwards  completely  fulfilled  in  the  deliverance 
wrought  by  the  death  of  the  Son  of  God,  the  true  Lamb. 
Even  now  and  unto  all  generations  will  God's  people  cele- 
brate this  feast  in  the  communion  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

The  religious  life  of  Israel  as  a  nation  began  wdth  the  sac- 
rifice of  the  Passover.  The  strength  that  came  to  them 
through  the  flesh  of  the  lamb  in  symbol  and  from  God,  in 
fact,  served  to  start  them  upon  the  journey  away  from  the 
bondage  of  Egypt. 

The  Gathering  at  Succoth. 

To  the  pasture-lands,  in  the  district  of  Succoth,  near  the 
store-city  of  Pithom,  came  the  nation  of  Israel.  The  last 
interview  between  Moses  and  Meneptah  took  place  probably 
at  the  fortified  store-city,  Rameses,  and   from  that  point  to 

*  Exod.  12 :  13.       +  Exod.  12 :  14. 


THE  PASSAGE  OF  THE  RED  SEA.  200 


Succotli  the  largest  body  of  the  Hebrews  followed  their  • 
leader.  During  the  sojourn  of  more  than  four  centuries  the 
tribes  that  sprang  from  Jacob's  sons  had  multiplied  until 
the  men  alone  were  in  number  six  hundred  thousand.  An 
aggregate  population  of  more  than  three  million  people  is 
thus  indicated.  "  A  mixed  multitude  went  up  also  with 
them;  and  flocks  and  herds,  even  very  much  cattle."  *  The 
fragments  of  old  Semitic  people  dwelling  in  Egypt  from  the 
time  of  the  Hyksos  onw^ard  were  driven  out  with  Israel. 
The  bones  of  Joseph  were  carried  along  by  Moses.  The 
command  of  the  patriarch  and  the  command  of  Jehovah 
were  upon  them.  They  had  registered  a  solemn  vow  to  keep 
this  day  forever  as  a  memorial  that  "  By  strength  of  hand 
Jehovah  brought  us  out  from  Egypt,  from  the  house  of 
bondage."  t 

In  booths,  made  of  green  branches,  the  Hebrews  encamped 
upon  the  fields  of  Succoth.  The  obelisks  of  Heliopolis,  the 
sacred  city  of  the  Pharaoh,  were  left  behind  them,  many  miles 
to  the  westward.  The  desert  lands  of  the  wilderness  were 
not  far  away  to  the  eastward.  Perhaps  the  traditions  handed 
down  from  the  time  of  their  fathers,  concerning  the  days  and 
times  of  wilderness  travel,  were  now  passed  from  mouth  to 
mouth.  In  orderly  array  they  soon  began  to  move.  "  And 
they  took  their  journey  from  Succoth  and  encamped  in 
Etham,  in  the  edge  of  the  wilderness.  And  Jehovah  went 
before  them  b}'"  day  in  a  pillar  of  cloud,  to  lead  them  the 
way ;  and  by  night  in  a  pillar  of  fire,  to  give  them  light.  To 
go  by  day  and  night,  he  took  not  aw^ay  the  pillar  of  the 
cloud  by  day,  nor  the  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  from  before  the 
people."  +  The  pillars  of  the  temple  of  the  sun  were  left  in 
their  silence,  mockeries  erected  by  human  superstition  to 
indicate  the  divine  power  of  the  beams  of  the  sun.  But  now 
the  pillar  that  indicated  God's  presence  as  a  living  leader 
and  guide  went  before  to  lead  them  unto  liberty  of  mind, 
body  and  spirit. 

The  Passage  of  the  Red  Sea. 

At  Etham  the  Hebrews  were  still  upon  the  wilderness 
road  that  led  northeastward  to  Palestine.  Their  expectation 
pointed  to  a  journey  through   that  long  desert   pathway, 

*Exod.l2:38.       +Exod.l8:14.        |Exod.20:22. 

14 


210  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


traversed  years  before  by  Abrabam  and  Jacob.  But  now 
the  Lord  spake  and  commanded  them  to  turn  directly  to- 
ward the  south.  They  were  to  remain  yet  within  the  pas- 
ture-lands of  Succoth  and  to  journey  along  the  eastern  bor- 
der of  Egypt.  Soon  the  sparkling  waters  of  the  Red  Sea 
came  into  view.  Not  across  the  swamp  district  of  the  Bitter 
Lakes  that  lay  just  to  their  left  hand  were  they  permitted 
to  pass.  Such  a  course  would  have  brought  them  into  the 
wilderness  itself,  and  then  the  Red  Sea  might  very  soon 
have  been  placed  between  them  and  the  land  of  Egypt. 
They  kept  those  Red  Sea  waves  beyond  them  toward  the 
eastward  as  they  wound  slowly  down  among  the  hills. 
''  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel  that  they  may  turn  and 
encamp  before  Pi-Hahiroth,  between  Migdol  and  the  sea, 
over  against  Baal-Zephon;  before  it  shall  ye  encamp  by  the 
sea."  *  Near  the  modern  Suez  were  the  people  encamped. 
From  the  military  point  of  view  they  were  in  a  trap — sur- 
rounded by  sea  and  mountain  on  every  side  save  that  by 
which  they  entered.  The  Red  Sea  stretched  many  a  mile  to 
the  left  hand  and  to  the  right  as  they  looked  toward  the 
land  of  Midian  and  of  Palestine.  Just  behind  them  rose  up 
the  tall  summit  of  Mount  Atakah,  and  the  same  barrier  ex- 
tended its  rocks  toward  the  sea-shore  on  their  right  flank  so 
that  further  progress  toward  the  south  was  checked.  Then, 
as  they  looked  backward  along  the  way  by  which  they  had 
come,  lo!  the  little  hilltops  were  crowned  with  the  banners 
of  Meneptah's  host,  coming  after  them  in  hostile  pursuit. 
'*  They  are  entangled  in  the  land,  the  wilderness  hath  shut 
them  in."  f 

The  false  king's  heart  had  again  become  hardened  with 
the  passing  of  his  terror.  Not  all  the  children  had  died  on 
that  night  of  the  Passover.  Six  hundred  chosen  chariots  and 
all  the  chariots  of  Egypt  and  his  horsemen  and  his  army  called 
he  together,  and  away  he  hurried  to  bring  back  these  flying 
bondmen.  The  avarice  of  the  king  and  of  his  people  was 
again  uppermost  and  the  prey  must  not  escape. 

A  great  cry  ran  through  the  multitude  of  the  Hebrews  when 
they  saw  the  warlike  array  behind  them.  So  far  as  the  eye 
of  man  could  see  there  was  no  escape.  Murmuring  at  once 
arose.     "  They  said  unto   Moses,   '  Because  there  were  no 

*Exocl.  14:  2.       +Exod.l4:  3. 


TEE  PASSAGE  OF  THE  RED  SEA.  211 


graves  in  Egypt,  hast  thou  taken  us  away  to  die  in  the  wil- 
derness? '  "  "And  Moses  said  unto  the  people,  *  Fear  ye  not; 
stand  still  and  see  the  salvation  of  Jehovah,  which  he  will 
shew  to  you  to-day.'  "*  The  murmuring  and  the  sarcasm 
against  Moses  were  soon  made  to  cease,  for  Jehovah  began  to 
show  His  power. 

The  great  pillar  of  cloud  began  to  move  from  front  to 
rear.  As  a  great  wall  of  thick  darkness  it  lifted  its  folds  now 
in  front  of  the  Egyptian  host  and  concealed  Israel  from 
view.  As  the  night  came  on  the  army  of  the  Pharaoh  was  in 
the  midst  of  darkness,  but  Israel  was  in  the  light,  for  the 
cloud  was  now  unto  them  a  pillar  of  fire.  Hidden  away 
under  this  cloak  of  fire  Israel  saw  the  finger  of  God  up- 
lifted to  deliver.  "And  Moses  stretched  out  his  hand  over 
the  sea;  and  Jehovah  caused  the  sea  to  go  back  by  a  strong 
east  wind  all  that  night,  and  made  the  sea  dr}^  land  and  the 
waters  were  divided.  And  the  children  of  Israel  went  into 
the  midst  of  the  sea  upon  the  dry  ground;  and  the  waters 
were  a  wall  unto  them  on  their  right  hand  and  on  their 
left."  t  Thus  did  they  escape  by  the  miraculous  power  of 
Jehovah.  A  path  was  swept  dry  for  them  along  the  bed  of 
the  sea,  and  from  Africa  to  Asia  they  crossed.  Probably  a 
mile  in  width  was  the  arm  of  the  sea  at  this  point,  and  by 
the  morning  all  the  host  of  Israel,  with  their  cattle,  had 
passed  over.  Angered  at  the  sudden  escape  of  their  prey, 
the  Egyptians  dashed  madly  in  pursuit.  But  "  Jehovah 
looked  unto  the  host  of  the  Egyptians  through  the  pillar  of 
fire  and  of  the  cloud  and  troubled  the  host  of  the  Egyp- 
tians." I  "  The  clouds  poured  out  water;  the  skies  sent  out 
a  sound;  their  arrows  also  went  abroad.  The  voice  of  thy 
thunder  was  in  the  heaven;  the  lightnings  lightened  the 
world;  the  earth  trembled  and  shook.  Thy  way  is  in  the 
sea,  and  thy  path  in  the  great  waters,  and  thy  footsteps  are 
not  known.  Thou  leddest  thy  people  like  a  flock  by  the 
hand  of  Moses  and  Aaron."  § 

In  the  soft  sand  of  the  sea-bed  sank  the  chariot  wheels. 
Their  movement  was  clogged  and  they  "drave  heavily." 
When  the  army  turned  at  last  to  escape  by  fleeing  back- 
ward toward  the  Egyptian  shore,  then  dashed  the  waters 
upon  them.     "And  the  waters  returned  and  covered  the 

•Exod.  14:  n,13.       f  Exod.  14:  19,  22.        tExod.l4:24.        §  Ps.  77 :  17-20. 


212  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


chariots  and  the  horsemen,  and  all  the  host  of  Pharaoh  that 
came  into  the  sea  after  them ;  there  remained  not  so  much 

as  one  of  them, And  Israel  saw 

the  Egyptians  dead  upon  the  sea-shore."* 

Was  Meneptah  drowned  along  with  his  soldiery  ?  The 
narrative  does  not  so  affirm.  Probably  this  coward  of  a 
king  was  not  at  the  head  of  his  troops  and  did  not  die  here 
at  the  hand  of  Jehovah.  His  mummy  has  not  been  found 
and  the  latter  end  of  this  cruel  monarch  seems  wrapped  in 
obscurity.  But  the  deliverance  of  Israel  was  marvellous 
and  complete.  The  passage  through  the  sea  stands  as  the 
typical  miracle  in  an  age  of  miracles.  It  was  the  climax 
of  the  wonders  in  the  field  of  Zoan.  It  was  the  crowning 
work  of  Jehovah  in  delivering  his  people  from  bondage.  A 
whole  nation  was  baptized  in  the  cloud  and  in  the  sea. 
Away  from  the  idolatr}^  of  Egypt  to  the  service  of  God — 
away  from  national  slavery  to  national  freedom  had  they 
escaped.  This  day  of  passage  marked  the  birthday  of  a 
new  moral  life  in  an  entire  race  of  people.  From  this  time 
forth  is  it  to  be  shown  that  not  only  individuals  like  Abra- 
ham and  Moses  may  be  guided  by  Jehovah,  but  also  an  en- 
tire people  who  fill  up  a  great  quarter  of  the  earth. 

Bread  from  Heaven. 

The  new  nation  found  itself  in  an  unknown  land.  The 
people  knew  Moses  and  they  knew  Jehovah  in  part,  but 
naught  else  did  they  know.  And  yet  the  great  need  of  this 
race  was  knowledge  and  discipline.  Now  were  they  to  make 
great  progress  in  the  knowledge  of  their  God  and  of  His 
method  of  dealing  with  men.  All  the  practical  questions 
that  confront  men  in  this  life  came  unto  these  Hebrews. 
The  question  of  bread  for  daily  life;  the  question  of  national 
existence  when  menaced  by  enemies;  the  question  of  national 
growth  and  prosperity  as  based  upon  a  form  of  government; 
the  question  of  religious  creed  and  ritual;  all  these  problems 
were  now  to  be  solved  by  the  Hebrews  first  among  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth.  They  had  come  up  from  the  Nile, 
where  they  had  witrtessed  a  dismal  failure  in  all  these  mat- 
ters on  the  part  of  the  Egyptians.  Divine  revelations  from 
Jehovah   Himself  were   given  them  now  through  Moses  as 

*  Ex.  14 :  26-30. 


BREAD  FROM  HEAVEN.  213 


the  final  solution  of  these  problems  for  the  Hebrews  and  for 
all  other  nations  upon  earth. 

The  peninsula  of  Sinai  was  now  the  home  of  the  Israelitish 
host.  This  region  is  triangular  in  shape,  and  thrusts  itself 
like  a  wedge  into  the  Red  Sea,  dividing  it  into  two  long 
arms  of  water — the  Gulf  of  Suez  and  the  Gulf  of  Akabah. 
The  peninsula  belongs  to  that  great  stretch  of  desert  land 
between  Egypt  and  Palestine  known  as  the  "  wilderness  of 
Shur."  This  peninsula  itself  is  built  up  of  sand  and  stone 
into  a  veritable  three-cornered  house.  The  land  is  elevated 
in  the  centre,  rising  by  degrees  as  it  approaches  the  south 
until  it  culminates  in  the  mountain  peaks  that  tower  up 
above  the  sea. 

Looking  toward  this  rugged  triangle  from  the  North  we 
see  first  a  flat  desert  country,  thrusting  itself  like  a  wedge 
into  the  peninsula,  even  as  the  peninsula  like  a  wedge 
thrusts  itself  into  the  waters  of  the  sea.  This  flat  desert 
forms  a  vast  table-land,  reaching  from  point  to  point  of  the 
two  gulfs,  -and  lying  two  thousand  feet  above  the  sea-level. 
It  is  known  as  the  desert  of  Tih  or  "  wilderness  of  wander- 
ing," and  was  the  scene  of  part  of  the  subsequent  meander- 
ings  of  these  Hebrew  tribes.  The  underlying  basis  is  lime- 
stone, while  a  carpet  of  flint-stone  is  laid  across  the  broad 
plateau.  Without  water  and  without  trees  is  this  great 
waste.  But  not  here  do  we  find  the  Israelites  encamping 
during  the  early  days  of  their  new  freedom. 

Passing  farther  to  the  south  we  come  to  the  edge  of  this 
plateau.  Along  the  side,  toward  the  southwest,  overlooking 
the  gulf  of  Suez,  is  a  perpendicular  cliff  upholding  the  great 
flat  region  of  limestone.  Down  at  the  base  of  this  cliff", 
along  the  shore  towards  the  south,  marched  the  people  of 
Israel  under  Moses.  Soon  we  find  on  the  waste  above  a 
change  in  the  character  of  the  soil.  A  broad  strip  of  sand- 
stone country  stretches  itself  across  the  triangle  from  east 
to  west.  Further  south  there  arises  up  a  great  cluster  of 
granite  mountains,  filling  the  entire  corner  of  the  peninsula 
and  lifting  their  height  in  varied  measure  above  the  whole 
country.  These  peaks  of  quartz  and  black  slate  seem  to 
have  been  tumbled  together  in  chaotic  mass.  Between  them 
are  valleys  deeply-cut,  and  widening  in  many  a  turn.  Hid- 
den away  in  the  bosom  of  these  hills  is  much  mineral  wealth , 


214  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


once  extensively  mined  by  the  Egyptians.  Away  from  the 
sandy  shore  of  the  Suez,  along  the  deep  and  narrow  gorges 
of  this  mountain  range,  did  the  Hebrew  hosts  climb  up  into 
the  heart  of  these  hills  as  into  God's  own  house.  The  pres- 
ence of  Jehovah's  glory  was  found  far  away  in  the  w41d  and 
rugged  retirement  amid  the  everlasting  mountains. 

Ere  reaching  this  scene  of  the  giving  of  the  Law,  great 
lessons  concerning  Jehovah's  watchfulness  over  his  people 
had  already  been  imparted.  Onl}'-  three  days  had  they  jour- 
neyed wdien  the  pangs  of  thirst  seized  upon  the  multitude. 
God's  power  was  at  once  made  manifest.  The  miracles 
wrought  upon  the  Nile  were  duplicated,  only  with  opposite 
effect.  There  was  a  land  of  fruitfulness  made  like  unto  a 
desert-land.  Here  was  a  waterless  waste  made  to  furnish 
a  fountain  of  sweet  water.  For  when  Moses  cast  a  tree  into 
the  waters  of  Marah,  they  were  made  sweet.  The  same 
power  was  behind  this  miracle  as  that  which  changed 
the  Nile  water  into  blood,  for  after  the  wonder  was  wrought, 
this  message  was  sent  through  Moses  unto  Israel,  "I  am  Je- 
hovah that  healeth  thee."* 

In  the  midst  of  the  peninsula,  between  the  limestone  ta- 
ble-land of  Tih,  and  the  granite  mountains  of  Sinai,  is  the 
waste  region  called  the  "  Wilderness  of  Sin."  This  desert 
land  w^as  reached  by  the  wanderers  "  on  the  fifteenth  day  of 
the  second  month  after  their  departing  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt."t 

Hunger  began  now  to  oppress  the  Hebrews.  The  flesh- 
pots  of  Egypt  rose  up  in  their  memories  to  recall  the  fleshly 
advantages  of  the  home  of  slavery.  Murmuring  ran  through 
the  host.  The  bread  and  the  meat  of  the  land  of  Goshen 
seemed  to  be  of  greater  value  in  their  eyes  than  the  spiri- 
tual growth  of  the  nation.  Then  spake  He  who  had  made  the 
land  of  the  Nile  desolate  as  a  punishment  upon  the  Egyp- 
tians. Jehovah  gave  His  children  bread  and  meat  from 
heaven.  The  meat  came  in  the  flocks  of  quails  which  God 
caused  to  fly  over  the  desert  to  the  Hebrew  encampment. 
Great  flocks  of  the  quail  frequent  the  Sinai  region  at  cer- 
tain seasons.  But  now  did  God  show  miraculous  power  in 
bringing  the  birds  in  number  innumerable  at  the  hour  of 
need. 

♦Exod.l5:26.        +Exod.l6:l. 


THE  ROCK  OF  REPHIDIM.  215 


And  then  the  Lord  caused  bread  to  rain  from  heaven! 
And  the  bread  was  called  manna,  like  unto  the  food-juice  of 
a  tree  still  found  in  Arabia.  Manna,  as  now  known,  is  the 
sweet  juice  of  the  tamarisk  tree.  It  exudes  from  the  trunk 
and  the  branches,  and  is  found  upon  the  twigs,  or  upon  the 
fallen  leaves  beneath  the  tree.*  But  the  manna  sent  unto 
Israel  was  found  scattered  over  the  surface  of  the  desert  after 
the  passing  of  the  morning  dew.  The  supply  was  exceed- 
ing great,  more  than  a  forest  of  tamarisks  could  furnish, 
and  moreover  it  fell  not  upon  the  Sabbath-day.  The  people 
used  it  as  they  would  use  meal,  grinding  it,  or  baking  it — 
and  so  was  bread  afforded  them  during  forty  years.  It  was 
not  the  soil  of  the  country,  but  it  was  Jehovah  who  fed  His 
people. 

The  Rock  of  Rephidim. 

The  tents  were  struck,  and  the  hosts  departed  from  the 
sandstone  country  of  Sin,  and  pushed  southward  into  the 
valleys  and  gorges  that  wind  through  the  granite  mountains 
of  the  range  of  Sinai.  And  they  pitched  camp  in  Rephidim, 
and  there  they  found  no  water.  The  privations  of  the  wil- 
derness life  pressed  sorely,  and  the  murmurings  of  the  peo- 
ple increased  to  such  extent  that  Moses  cried  unto  Jehovah, 
"  Yet  a  little  while  and  they  will  stone  me."t 

Moses  carried  still  "the  rod  of  God"  in  his  hand.  The 
same  staff  that  had  been  outstretched  over  the  Nile  and  over 
the  land  of  Egypt  to  plague  the  Egyptians,  was  now  stretched 
out  to  bring  blessing  upon  Israel.  At  Jehovah's  command, 
Moses  took  the  elders  of  Israel  forward  in  advance  of  the 
multitude  until  he  came  to  a  great,  dry  rock.  Then  did 
Moses  smite  the  rock  with  his  rod  and  water  gushed  out. 
The  need  of  the  people  was  supplied  from  the  parched  mass 
of  granite  by  the  power  of  Him  who  delivered  Israel  from 
bondage.  This  wondrous  miracle  was  also  a  prophecy  of 
"  the  spiritual  rock  which  followed  them,  and  that  rock  was 
Christ. "+  Thus  did  the  symbolic  method  of  teaching  ad- 
vance in  clearness  along  with  the  daily  sustentation  of  the 
nation.  Thus  did  Jehovah  declare  that  their  physical  life  it- 
self must  draw  its  support  from  Him,  of  whose  strength  and 
power  the  granite  rock  is  only  a  symbol. 

♦Speaker's  Com.  I.:  321.       +Exod.l7:  1-5.       |1  Cor.  10:  4. 


216  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Like  a  rock  also  did  Jehovah  stand  against  Amalek.  This 
shepherd  tribe  was  the  most  powerful  among  the  heathen 
nations  of  the  wilderness.  They  were  accustomed  to  pas- 
ture their  flocks  along  the  slopes  of  the  Sinaitic  mountains. 
The  flocks  of  the  Israelites,  as  they  came  nibbling  and  low- 
ing through  the  gorges,  threatened  to  cut  off  the  pasture 
lands  from  the  flocks  of  the  Amalekites.  Therefore  this 
fierce  people  grasped  their  spears  and  made  a  bold  attack 
against  the  pilgrims  from  Egypt.  These  brick-makers  from 
the  Nile  were  not  accustomed  to  the  sounds  of  war.  But 
Joshua  seems  to  have  possessed  an  instinct  for  battle. 
Moses  gave  him  commission  to  select  a  fighting  band  and  to 
lead  them  forward  in  the  vale  of  Rephidim  against  the  Amale- 
kites. But  it  was  Jehovah,  the  Rock  of  Rephidim,  who 
fought  in  behalf  of  Israel.  All  that  long  day  until  the 
going  down  of  the  sun  the  battle  raged  in  the  valley.  Upon 
the  mount  above,  Moses  interceded  with  God  in  prayer. 
This  action  of  the  leader  is  set  forth  in  the  narrative  as  the 
holding  up  of  Moses'  hands.  Aaron  and  Hur  were  present, 
and  they  "  stayed  up  his  hands,  the  one  on  the  one  side, 
and  the  other  on  the  other  side."*  But  in  the  hand  of 
Moses  was  that  same  rod  of  God,  the  symbol  of  divine  inter- 
vention in  behalf  of  Israel.  As  upon  the  banks  of  the  Nile 
and  of  the  Red  Sea,  as  at  the  rock  whence  flowed  the  living 
stream,  so  here  upon  the  battle  plain  was  Jehovah  present 
to  give  His  people  victory.  Amalek  was  routed  with  a 
great  slaughter,  and  from  that  day  until  their  complete 
extinction  they  remained  as  the  type  of  the  enemies  of  God's 
people.  It  was  a  victor}^  directly  due  to  the  power  of  God 
alone.  He  here  declared  His  veritable  existence,  as  real  as 
the  existence  of  the  Rock  of  Rephidim  itself.  He  here 
declared  Himself  as  the  source  of  all  strength  unto  His 
people,  merciful  and  gracious  in  the  hour  of  sore  need. 

The  Mountain  of  Fire. 

Rephidim  was  probably  the  valley  now  known  as  Wady 
es  Sheikh.  Perpendicular  rocks  on  each  side  wall  in  this 
grassy  vale.  Amalek  fled  in  confusion  and  left  the  entire 
range  of  valley  and  mountain  to  the  people  of  Israel.  They 
now  turned  still  southward  until  they  came  upon  the  broad 

*Exod.l7:  12, 


THE  MOUNTAIN  OF  FIRE.  217 


plain  of  Er  Rahah.  Here  they  found  themselves  in  the 
presence  of  towering  granite  peaks  that  rose  upward  into 
heaven  like  perpendicular  pyramids.  Immediately  in  their 
front  was  the  summit  of  Ras  Sufsafeh.  At  the  base  of  this 
mountain,  and  in  this  very  plain,  perhaps,  Moses  had  led 
the  flocks  of  his  Midianitish  father.  This  father  (Jethro) 
was  even  now  with  them  as  the  adviser  of  Moses  and  as  a 
worshipper  of  God.  In  this  part  of  the  wilderness  Jehovah 
had  appeared  in  the  burning  bush.  The  name  Sinai  is 
supposed  to  mean  "  acacia,"  the  species  of  bush  or  shrub 
that  covers  this  great  wilderness  chain  of  mountains.  The 
people  were  here  in  the  presence  of  the  living  God. 

The  group  of  mountain  peaks  were  scattered  here  and 
there  like  granite  pyramids,  far  grander  than  those  on  the 
Nile.  The  approach  to  this  heart  of  the  mountain-world 
had  been  along  narrow  w^ays  lined  with  towering  rocks,  more 
imposing  than  the  avenues  lined  with  obelisks  and  statues, 
guarding  the  approaches  to  the  temples  of  Egypt.  The 
silence  of  the  everlasting  hills  rested  like  a  veil  of  heavenly 
blessing  upon  this  great  sanctuary.  It  was  God's  temple 
wherein  they  now  dwelt,  and  the  signs  of  God's  presence 
were  there.  The  cloud  of  glory  had  gone  before  them  and 
it  now  rested  upon  the  mount  and  lifted  its  tall  pillar  into 
the  heavens.  And  Jehovah  came  down  to  declare  Himself 
unto  His  people. 

*First  of  all,  God  sent  a  message  unto  the  people  out  of  the 
mount.  ''And  Moses  went  up  unto  God,  and  Jehovah  called 
unto  him  out  of  the  mountain,  saying.  Thus  shalt  thou  say 
to  the  house  of  Jacob  and  tell  the  children  of  Israel :  '  Yeiiave 
seen  what  I  did  unto  the  Egyptians  and  how  I  bare  you  on 
eagles'  wings  and  brought  you  unto  myself.  Now,  therefore, 
if  ye  will  obey  ray  voice  indeed,  and  keep  my  covenant,  then 
ye  shall  be  a  peculiar  treasure  unto  me  above  all  people;  for  all 
the  earth  is  mine.  And  ye  shall  he  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests 
and  an  holy  nation."  * 

To  establish  the  priest-relationship  between  Himself  and 
this  nation  is  Jehovah's  great  purpose  in  the  deliverance 
and  the  training  of  Israel.  They  have  been  brought  away 
from  the  idols  and  the  altars  of  Egypt  in  order  that  the  true 
knowledge  of  God  may  be  known  among  them  and  that  the 


*Exod.  19:  1-6. 


218  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


true  worship  of  Jehovah  may  be  established.  After  this  an- 
nouncement follow  the  signs  of  God's  personal  presence. 
The  people  are  sanctified  and  barriers  are  placed  about  the 
mount  so  that  they  can  see  but  dare  not  touch  the  great 
rock.  The  idea  of  God's  holiness  is  made  to  fill  the  very 
atmosphere,  and  to  be  written  upon  the  mountains.  "  And 
it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day,  in  the  morning,  that  there 
were  thunders  and  lightnings,  and  a  thick  cloud  upon  the 
mount,  and  the  voice  of  the  trumpet  exceeding  loud;  so  that 
all  the  people  that  was  in  the  camp  trembled.  And  Moses 
brought  forth  the  people  out  of  the  camp  to  meet  with  God, 
and  they  stood  at  the  nether  part  of  the  mount.  And  Mount 
Sinai  was  altogether  on  a  smoke,  because  Jehovah  descended 
upon  it  in  fire ;  and  the  smoke  thereof  ascended  as  the  smoke 
of  a  furnace,  and  the  whole  mount  quaked  greatly.  And 
when  the  voice  of  the  trumpet  sounded  long  and  waxed 
louder  and  louder,  Moses  spoke  and  God  answered  him  by  a 
voice.^'  * 

Like  a  great  altar  the  mountain  burned,  and  the  smoke 
of  the  fire  ascended  continuously  as  the  smoke  of  a  great 
furnace.  The  symbolic  meaning  was  clear.  The  Israelites 
saw  not  only  lightnings  and  heard  thunderings,  whereby 
God  manifests  His  power,  but  they  saw  a  great  mountain 
burning  like  a  sacrificial  altar,  and  they  heard  the  voice  of 
Jehovah  Himself,  and  they  received  the  message  that  they 
were  to  be  dedicated  unto  Him  as  a  nation  of  priests. 

Here  was  the  most  stupendous  event  in  the  world's  his- 
tory, save  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ.  Here  first  the  infinite 
God  spake  to  a  whole  race  of  people  in  terms  intelligible. 
The  silence  of  the  supposed  gods  of  Egypt  and  of  Babylonia 
was  made  an  open  shame  in  the  presence  of  the  whole 
world.  Overwhelmed  in  utter  ruin  were  the  sun-gods 
of  the  Nile,  and  now  did  Jehovah  reveal  Himself  in  those 
personal  attributes  that  underlie  His  very  being.  He  spake, 
and  He  was  heard  and  understood.  He  declared  Himself  in 
His  power  and  holiness,  and  all  the  people  stood  in  awe,  for 
here  they  perceived  a  standard  of  purity  far  above  any  that 
had  been  dreamed  of  in  the  philosophies  of  men.  The 
mountain  of  fire  stood  before  them,  as  a  symbol  of  Him  who 
rules  in  a  world  unseen  and  eternal. 

*  Exod.  19:  16-19. 


TEE  SONG  OF  MOSES.  219 


The  Song  of  Moses. 

Aside  from  the  occasional  spirit  of  murmuring  that  pos- 
sessed the  people,  and  the  intense  heaviness  of  awe  that 
now  rested  upon  them  in  the  presence  of  Jehovah's  ma- 
jesty— the  great  undercurrent  of  sentiment  that  now  flowed 
from  heart  to  heart  among  the  Israelites  was  that  of  buoy- 
ant exultation.  They  were  the  victors  in  a  great  contest. 
The  Egyptian  religion  and  civil  administration  had  gone 
down  beneath  the  powers  of  their  God.  They  were  lifted 
each  day  up  to  new  heights  of  triumph.  At  the  foot  of 
Sinai,  no  doubt,  they  still  chanted  the  great  song  of  victory 
written  by  Moses  and  sung  by  Miriam  and  the  Hebrew  wo- 
men just  after  the  passage  of  the  Red  Sea.  Upon  this  feel- 
ing of  exultation  was  based  the  first  beginnings  of  Hebrew 
epic  poetry.  "  The  Book  "  in  which  Moses  wrote  the  story 
of  the  battle  of  Rephidim  as  a  memorial,*  was,  perhaps,  the 
same  book  in  which  he  wrote  down  the  song  of  triumph  at 
the  Red  Sea.  This  refrain,  which  gives  a  glimpse  of  Moses 
as  an  inspired  penman,  inditing  the  sentiments  which  Jeho- 
vah set  in  the  hearts  of  His  people  on  account  of  their  de- 
liverance, may  be  fittingly  set  down  here  at  the  close  of  the 
story  of  conflict.  The  hymn  itself  was  sung  by  "  Moses 
and  the  children  of  Israel,"  while  Miriam  and  her  attendant 
maidens,  to  the  accompaniment  of  timbrels,  sang  the  chorus: 

I. 

Sing  unto  the  Lord,  for  He  hath  triumphed  gloriously ; 
The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  He  thrown  into  the  sea. 

My  strength  and  song  is  JAH  ; 
And  He  is  to  me  for  salvation. 
He  is  my  God,  and  I  will  praise  Him; 
My  father's  God,  and  I  will  exalt  Him. 

Jehovah  is  a  man  of  war ; 
Jehovah  is  His  name. 

Pharaoh's  chariots  and  his  host  hath  He  cast  into  the  sea, 

And  his  chosen  captains  are  sunk  in  the  Red  Sea. 

The  depths  covered  them ;  they  sank  to  th«  bottom  as  a  stone. 

Chorus  bi/  Miriam  and  the  women. 

Sing  unto  the  Lord,  for  He  hath  triumphed  gloriously; 
The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  He  thrown  into  the  sea. 

*Exod.  17:  14. 


220  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


II. 

Thy  right  hand,  Jehovah,  is  glorious  in  power; 

Thy  right  hand,  Jehovah,  dasheth  in  pieces  the  enemy. 

In  the  greatness  of  thy  height.  Thou  overthrowest  them  that 
rise  up  against  thee. 

Thou  sendest  forth  thy  wrath  which  consumeth  them  as  stub- 
ble. 

With  the  blast  of  thy  nostrils  the  waters  were  piled  up ; 

The  floods  stood  up  as  an  heap: 

The  depths  were  congealed  in  the  heart  of  the  sea. 

The  enemy  said,  "I  will  pursue,  overtake,  divide  the  spoil; 

"  My  lust  shall  be  satisfied  upon  them  ; 

"  I  will  draw  my  sword ;  my  hand  shall  destroy  them." 

Thou  didst  blow  with  Thy  wind;  the  sea  covered  them; 

They  sank  like  lead  in  the  mighty  waters. 

(Chorus  as  before.) 

III. 

Who  is  like  unto  Thee,  Jehovah,  among  the  gods? 

Who  is  like  unto  Thee,  glorious  in  holiness. 

Fearful  in  praises,  doing  wonders? 

Thou  stretchedst  out  Thine  hand,  and  the  earth  swallowed  them, 

(Chorus.) 

IV. 

Thou,  in  Thy  mercy,  didst  lead  forth  the  people  which  Thou  hast 

redeemed; 
Thou  didst  guide  them  in  Thy  strength  to  Thy  holy  habitation. 
The  peoples  have  heard ;  they  tremble  ; 
Pangs  have  taken  hold  on  the  dwellers  in  Palestine. 
Then  were  the  dukes  of  Edom  amazed ; 
The  mighty  men  of  Moab,  trembling  took  hold  upon  them ; 
All  the  inhabitants  of  Canaan  are  melted  away. 
Terror  and  dread  shall  fall  upon  them ; 
By  the  greatness  of  Thine  arm  shall  they  be  still  as  a  stone 
Till  Thy  people  pass  over,  O  Jehovah, 
Till  the  people  pass  over  which  Thou  hast  redeemed, 
Thou  shalt  bring  them  in  and  plant  them  in  the  mountains  of 

Thine  inheritance. 
The  place,  O  Jehovah,  which  thou  hast  made  for  Thee  to  dwell 

in. 
The  sanctuary,  0  Jehovah,  which  Thy  hands  have  established. 
Jehovah  shall  reign  forever  and  ever. 

Chorus. 

Sing  unto  the  Lord,  for  He  hath  triumphed  gloriously; 
The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  He  thrown  into  the  sea.  * 

*  Ex.  15:  1, 18— Translation  from  Rawlinaon's  '•  Moses." 


P^ET  V. 


THE    DIVINE    CHARTER   OF    DELIVERANCE 
FROM  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITION. 


[Exodus  30-4-0,  Leviticus,  Numbers,  Deuteronomy.] 


THE  INVISIBLE  REDEEMER.  223 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  National  Covenant.    Jehovah  Made  King. 

[Exodus  SO-40.] 

THAT  part  of  the  Pentateuch  still  left  us  for  discussion  is 
a  written  constitution  confirming  unto  Israel  the  freedom 
wrought  out  for  the  nation  by  Jehovah  Himself.  Here  we 
find  the  first  charter  of  liberty  ever  recorded  in  the  language 
of  men.  This  charter  from  Jehovah  has  served  as  the  basis 
of  all  charters  since  that  time;  the  foundation  of  civil  and 
religious  freedom  throughout  the  whole  earth,  so  far  as  that 
principle  has  been  recognized,  was  laid  in  the  covenant  be- 
tween God  and  His  people  at  Sinai.  The  fundamental  idea 
of  this  charter  is  deliverance  from  bondage.*  The  charter 
itself  is  simply  a  written  guarantee  from  Jehovah  that  the 
deliverance  granted  unto  Israel  shall  continue  their  own 
forever  upon  condition  of  obedience  unto  Him  as  their  king. 
The  absolute  sovereignty  of  Jehovah  is  acknowledged  by 
Israel,  and  a  formal  oath  is  registered  that  they  will  abide 
forever  by  the  statutes  of  the  charter.  Let  us  now  proceed 
to  the  task  of  bringing  out  these  great  truths  by  a  minute 
examination  of  the  sacred  record. 

The  Invisible  Redeemer. 

Jehovah  descended  upon  Mount  Sinai  in  the  midst  of  fire 
and  thunder  and  earthquake.  He  answered  Moses  in  a 
voice  that  could  be  heard.  He  called  Moses  up  into  the 
mount  to  meet  with  Him.  There  was  lacking  no  sign  of 
Jehovah's  personality.  His  character  as  a  living  Being  was 
written  in  all  these  manifestations  of  power.  The  convul- 
sions of  nature  that  had  brought  desolation  to  Egypt  were 
reproduced  here  in  the  midst  of  the  mountains.  The  pur- 
pose of  this  method  of  revelation  is  clear.  That  purpose 
was  to  impart  unto  Israel  the  fact  that  the  God  who  spake 
on  Sinai  and  the  God  who  spake  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile 

*Ewald — History  of  Israel. 


224  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


was  one  God  and  the  same.  The  unity  of  the  Godhead  was 
impressed  upon  Israel  and  made  a  fundamental  article  in 
the  great  charter.  The  first  stage  in  the  historical  revela- 
tion of  the  character  of  God  was  brought  to  a  climax  in  this 
transaction.  As  Jehovah,  God  spake  to  Moses  in  this  same 
mount  and  gave  him  commission  to  deliver  Israel;  as  Je- 
hovah, He  now  spake  and  claimed  Israel  as  His  people  be- 
cause of  this  deliverance  of  them.  "I  am  Jehovah  thy  God^ 
which  have  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  out  of 
the  house  of  bondage."* 

By  way  of  contrast  with  the  character  of  the  gods  of  Egypt, 
Jehovah  gave  further  evidence  of  the  unity  of  His  nature. 
While  granting  ample  evidence  of  His  existence  and  of  His 
active  exertion  in  behalf  of  Israel,  yet  He  had  always  dwelt  in 
the  pillar  of  cloud  unseen.  Here  in  the  mount  He  remained 
behind  the  veil.  Bounds  were  set  about  the  mount  so  that  the 
people  might  not  even  touch  it.  They  could  not  come  near 
the  hill  of  fire  lest  they  gaze  upon  Jehovah.  Death  would 
be  the  instant  result  of  such  intrusion.  His  dwelling-place 
is  unapproachable,  except  upon  conditions  set  forth  by  Him- 
self. Sanctified  by  a  three  days'  purification  must  all  the 
people  be  before  they  might  even  come  near  the  mount.  "An 
holy  nation"  were  they  to  become.  But  now  they  could  not 
see  God  because  of  impurity  of  heart.  It  was  the  holiness  of 
Jehovah  that  was  thus  revealed  as  the  basis  of  his  character. 
Because  of  that  holiness  He  cannot  be  seen  by  human  eyes. 
The  invisible  God  who  can  reveal  Himself  to  the  hearts 
and  affections  of  His  people  is  a  spiritual  God.  In  these 
ideas  of  holiness  and  spirituality  we  have  a  complete  con- 
trast with  the  gods  of  Egypt.  The  sun-god  was  known 
chiefly  on  account  of  his  visibility.  Types  of  the  sun-god 
were  worshipped  far  and  wide;  his  personality  was  as  naught,. 
for  it  was  dissipated  among  the  many  gods  who  represented 
him.  Holiness  and  spirituality  were  not  attributes  of  the 
gods  of  the  Nile  countr}^,  and  hence  were  they  worshipped 
under  the  form  of  images  that  could  be  touched.  There 
was  nothing  in  the  nature  of  these  heathen  deities  that 
fenced  them  off  from  contact  with  the  nature  of  flesh. 
On  the  other  hand,  this  very  attribute  of  holiness  was  the 
ground-reason  why  Jehovah   was  veiled   from   the  gaze  of 


Exod.  20:  1 


THE  SEALING  OF  THE  COVENANT.  225 


men.  The  hearts  of  those  men  must  be  radically  changed 
from  beastliness  to  purity  before  they  could  come  into  His 
presence.  "Holiness  to  Jehovah"*  was  to  be  the  badge  of 
their  approach  toward  Him. 

Thus  have  we  reached  the  idea  of  deliverance  from  spirit- 
ual bondage  as  the  underlying  idea  of  the  exodus  of  Israel 
from  Egypt  to  Sinai.  The  One  Holy  God  has  redeemed  His 
people.  Their  redemption  is  recorded  in  the  history  of  the 
mission  of  Moses  and  the  triumph  of  Jehovah  over  the  gods 
of  Egypt.  The  yoke  of  Meneptah  has  been  lifted  from  their 
necks.  The  lash  of  the  task-master  has  been  removed. 
They  have  been  taken  from  an  environment  of  bondage  to 
one  of  freedom.  All  of  this  is  summed  up  for  them  in  the 
truth  that  their  Holy  God  has  delivered  them  from  the  mul- 
titude of  Egyptian  nature-gods.  They  dwell  no  longer  under 
the  shadow  of  sun-gods  and  animal-gods,  but  they  live  in 
the  presence  of  an  invisible  redeemer.  In  order  that  they 
may  not  bring  the  spirit  of  idolatry  into  the  worship  of 
Jehovah,  He  remains  hidden  from  view.  They  cannot  see 
His  form,  nor  His  face,  and  cannot,  therefore,  make  an  image 
of  Him,  No  doubt  the  Israelites  would  have  made  idols 
like  unto  the  idols  of  Egypt,  for  very  soon  they  did  compel 
Aaron  to  mould  a  golden  calf.  The  teaching  of  a  long 
sojourn  in  Egypt  had  left  deep  impressions  upon  the  He- 
brews, and  the  nation  would  very  soon  have  fallen  into  a 
ritual  like  that  of  the  sun-worshippers.  But  this  was  made 
impossible  by  the  fact  that  their  God  remained  unseen. 
They  began  their  religious  life  as  a  nation  by  cutting  loose 
from  a  people  whose  gods  were  manifested  in  forms  and 
shapes  that  could  be  seen  and  by  entrusting  themselves  and 
all  their  interests  to  the  orderings  of  the  invisible  One. 

The  Sealing  of  the  National  Covenant. 

The  people  of  Israel  accepted  their  deliverer  as  their 
God,  the  personal  object  of  worship,  and  in  thus  doing  they 
set  themselves  forever  in  opposition  to  the  polytheism  of 
Egypt.  But,  in  addition,  they  accepted  their  divine  deliv- 
erer as  king,  and  upon  that  acceptance  was  based  the 
theocracy.  In  this  form  of  government  were  incorporated 
certain  principles  in  direct  contrast  with  the  despotism  of 

*Ex.  28:  S6. 

15 


226  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


the  Pharaohs — principles  that  have  been  recognized  in  the 
establishment  of  every  form  of  free  government  throughout 
the  world.  The  very  beginning  of  free  government,  the  pre- 
servation of  the  rights  of  the  individual,  was  here  made  in  the 
establishment  of  the  theocracy  at  Sinai.  The  victory  of  Jeho- 
vah over  the  sun-gods  was  made  perpetual  and  embodied  in 
the  charter  granted  unto  Israel.  In  the  light  of  this  divine 
constitution  it  was  made  clear  that  despotism  in  govern- 
ment is  to  be  held  forever  as  a  crime  against  man  and  a  sin 
against  God. 

In  its  primary  character  the  theocracy  was  a  covenant 
between  Jehovah  on  the  one  side  and  the  Hebrew  nation  on 
the  other,  A  contract  was  formally  proposed  by  Jehovah, 
was  accepted  by  Israel  and  ratified  by  a  solemn  ceremony 
and  by  an  oath  sworn  by  the  whole  people  in  public  as- 
sembly. 

The  covenant  was  made  through  the  mediation  of  Moses, 
after  many  messages  transmitted  between  Jehovah  and 
the  people.  When  first  the  pilgrims  approached  Mount 
Sinai,  Moses  went  on  in  advance  and  up  into  the  presence 
of  Jehovah.  There,  in  declaring  the  purpose  of  this  great 
national  deliverance,  that  is,  to  make  of  Israel  "  a  kingdom 
of  priests  and  an  holy  nation,"  Jehovah  announced  to  Moses 
the  sole  condition  upon  which  this  purpose  depended,  viz.: 
that  Israel  should  "keep  my  covenant."  * 

When  this  condition  was  announced,  what  said  the  peo- 
ple ?  "  Moses  came  and  called  for  the  elders  of  the  people, 
and  laid  before  their  faces  all  these  words  which  Jehovah 
commanded  him.  And  all  the  people  answered  together, 
and  said,  All  that  Jehovah  hath  spoken  we  will  do." 

Thus  did  Israel  formally  accept  the  covenant,  and  this  ac- 
ceptance was  made  legal  and  complete  when  "  Moses  re- 
turned the  words  of  the  people  unto  Jehovah."  f 

After  this  preliminary  condition  was  completed,  then  be- 
gan the  ratification  of  the  covenant  more  in  detail.  All  the 
while  must  it  be  remembered  that  Israel  was  acting  from 
choice.  No  constraint  was  laid  upon  the  nation.  They  were 
willing  and  eager  to  enter  into  solemn  compact  with  Him 
who  had  delivered  them  from  Meneptah's  tyranny. 

*Exod.l9:  1-6.        +Exod.  19:  7,8. 


THE  SEALING  OF  THE  COVENANT.  227 


On  the  third  day,  in  the  morning,  "  Moses  brought  forth 
the  people  out  of  the  camp  to  meet  with  God."*  Not  the 
elders  merely,  but  the  entire  population  were  led  forth  to 
make  the  covenant.  Then  it  was  that  "  all  the  people  saw 
the  thunderings  and  the  lightnings  and  the  noise  of  the 
trumpet  and  the  mountain  smoking;  and  when  the  people 
saw  it  they  removed  and  stood  afar  off."  f 

While  thus  in  awe  and  fear,  afar  stood  the  people  away 
from  the  mount;  Moses  himself  "drew  near  unto  the  thick 
darkness  where  God  was."  !];  Then  God  spoke  the  words 
which  He  afterwards  engraved  with  His  own  finger  upon  the 
two  tables  of  stones. §  Also  Hq.  gave  other  commandments 
which  Moses  was  commanded  to  write  in  the  book  of  the 
covenant. II  "And  Moses  came  and  told  the  people  all  the 
words  of  Jehovah  and  all  the  judgments:  And  all  the  peo- 
ple answered  with  one  voice  and  said.  All  the  words  which 
Jehovah  hath  said  will  we  do." 

Thus  a  second  time  did  the  people  formally  agree  to  ac- 
cept the  covenant,  and  this  agreement  was  made  after  they 
had  heard  in  detail  from  Moses  all  the  terms  of  the  compact. 

As  a  third  step  in  the  ceremony,  "  Moses  wrote  all  the 
words  of  Jehovah. "\  A  written  constitution  must  this  cove- 
nant be.  We  find  here  nothing  like  the  "  contrat  social " 
of  which  Rousseau  dreamed  as  the  basis  of  society  and  of 
which  he  adduced  no  written  fragment  whatever.  The 
scribe  who  wrote  down  the  words  of  Jehovah  as  the  basis  of 
the  first  great  national  compact  was  the  author  of  the  epic 
of  triumph  at  the  Red  Sea — the  chosen  mediator  between 
God  and  His  people. 

In  accepting  this  written  charter,  a  great  religious  ceremo- 
nial was  enacted.  Moses  "rose  up  early  in  the  morning 
and  builded  an  altar  under  the  hill,  and  twelve  pillars,  ac- 
cording to  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel. 

"And  he  sent  young  men  of  the  children  of  Israel  which 
offered  burnt-offerings  and  sacrificed  peace-offerings  of  oxen 
unto  Jehovah. 

"And  Moses  took  half  of  the  blood  and  put  it  in  basins; 
and  half  of  the  blood  he  sprinkled  on  the  altar. 

*  Exod.  19 :  17.    rEsod.  20:  18.    JEsod.  20:   21.    gExod.  20:   1;   21:   1.    ||Exod.  24:3. 
ITExod.  24:  4. 


228  TEE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


"And  he  took  the  book  of  the  covenant  and  read  in  the 
audience  of  the  people;  and  they  said: 

"All  that  Jehovah  hath  said  will  we  do  and  be  obedient."* 

While  thus  the  people  stand  as  a  great  mass-meeting, 
gathered  to  accept  a  divine  form  of  government,  let  us  re- 
member the  binding  character  of  the  ceremonial  symbolism 
stamped  upon  the  whole  transaction.  The  altar  built  by 
Moses  is  a  symbol  of  the  presence  of  Jehovah.  The  same 
meaning  attaches  to  this  altar  that  belonged  to  the  altar 
built  by  Abraham.  In  that  case,  Jehovah  was  present  to 
make  covenant  with  an  individual;  in  this  case  he  is  pres- 
ent to  enter  into  covenant  ^yith  the  nation  descended  from 
that  individual.  It  is  the  covenant  of  Abraham  renewed  as 
a  national  compact. 

Likewise,  the  twelve  pillars  are  a  symbol  of  the  presence 
of  the  twelve  tribes  with  whom  Jehovah  is  making  the 
covenant.  Now  let  us  observe  the  symbolic  union  of  the 
two  parties  in  the  ceremonial  that  follows. 

The  burnt-offerings  placed  upon  Jehovah's  altar  by  the 
young  men,  signify  the  complete  dedication  of  the  people  of 
Israel  unto  Jehovah.  Thus  freely  do  they  give  themselves 
to  be  His. 

The  peace-offerings  are  a  figure  of  their  communion  with 
Jehovah.  It  is  a  kind  of  Old  Testament  Lord's  Supper, 
wherein  the  nation  comes  into  spiritual  contact  with  their 
king  and  redeemer. 

This  sacramental  union  was  made  still  more  complete,  in 
symbol,  by  the  casting  of  the  blood  of  these  sacrifices  upon 
the  altar  and  upon  the  people.  First,  upon  the  altar  Moses 
cast  half  the  blood.  This  signified  that  Jehovah  initiated 
the  covenant  and  awaited  the  agreement  of  the  people.  No 
haste  was  made.  Due  time  for  deliberation  was  granted. 
The  book  of  the  covenant  was  read  to  the  people.  This 
book  was  the  same  as  that  written  by  Moses  at  the  command 
of  Jehovah.  It  contained  the  terms  of  the  covenant,  aside 
from  the  ten  commandments  already  accepted.  This  book 
probably  contained  the  "judgments"  recorded  in  Exodus 
20:  22—23:  33.  With  full  knowledge  of  what  they  did— 
with  full  knowledge  of  the  charter  of  freedom  granted  on 
condition  of  obedience — the  people  of  Israel  took  the  solemn 

*Exod.  24:  4.7. 


THE  TABLES  OF  THE  COVENANT.  229 


oath.  ''And  Moses  took  the  blood  and  sprinkled  it  on  the 
people,  and  said,  Behold  the  blood  of  the  covenant  which 
Jehovah  hath  made  with  you  concerning  all  these  words."* 

The  whole  nation  had  accepted  the  charter.  Jehovah's 
kingship  was  proclaimed  and  Jehovah's  law  was  enacted  in 
solemn  assembly  of  the  whole  people.  "  There  went  up 
Moses  and  Aaron,  Nadab  and  Abihu  and  seventy  of  the  elders 
of  Israel: 

"And  they  saw  the  God  of  Israel: 

''And  under  His  feet  it  was  like  a  work  of  bright  sapphire- 
stone,  and  like  the  heaven  itself  in  clearness. 

"And  upon  the  nobles  of  the  children  of  Israel  He  laid 
not  His  hand:  also  they  saw  God  and  did  eat  and  drink. "f 

These  men  were  the  representative  heads  of  the  families  of 
the  nation.  Up  into  the  mountain  they  went  to  eat  the  feast 
of  the  covenant.  They  ate,  in  God's  presence,  the  flesh  of  the 
peace-offerings.  The  feast  itself  was  an  act  of  solemn  wor- 
ship. They  recognized  the  presence  of  their  deliverer  and 
king.  They  "  heard  the  voice  of  the  words,  but  saw  no  si- 
militude."t  Not  even  here  did  they  see  the  form  or  face  of 
God.  But  a  great  vision  unfolded  itself  in  such  manner  as 
to  overwhelm  the  sight  with  its  glory.  The  pavement  of 
His  throne  shone  upon  them  like  sapphire,  and  His  voice 
filled  the  air,  and  the  sense  of  His  presence  overwhelmed 
mind  and  heart.  Sight  was  extinguished  in  the  blaze  of 
glory,  and  no  form  appeared  therein ;  but  so  far  as  it  is  pos- 
sible for  men  to  see  Jehovah  and  live,  these  elders  and  priests 
saw  the  God  of  Israel.  He  did  not  smite  them,  for  this  com- 
munion of  feasting  was  a  gracious  approach  of  God  unto 
His  people  in  order  that  they  might  learn  to  love  the  giver 
of  law.  Not  stern  was  Jehovah  in  giving  statutes,  for 
the  law  was  not  the  arbitrary  imposition  of  a  powerful  des- 
pot. The  law  was  based  upon  the  covenant  between  the 
king  and  the  people.  The  nation  willingly  accepted  the 
commandments  and  the  judgments  of  Jehovah  because  they 
had  love  for  their  Redeemer  and  reverence  for  their  king. 

The  Tables  of  the  Covenant. 

At  the  feast  that  completed  the  covenant  Moses  again 
heard  the  voice  of  God.     "And  Jehovah   said  unto  Moses, 

*Esod.24:8.    fExod.  24:  9.  U.    |Deut.4:12. 


230  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Come  up  to  me  into  the  mount  and  be  there;  and  I  will 
give  thee  tables  of  stone  with  the  law,  even  the  command- 
ments which  I  have  written,  that  thou  mayest  teach  them. 
.  .  .  .  And  Moses  went  into  the  midst  of  the  cloud  and 
gat  him  up  into  the  mount;  and  Moses  was  in  the  mount 
forty  days  and  forty  nights."*  Without  meat  and  without 
drink,  Moses  dwelt  forty  days  and  nights  in  the  midst  of 
the  cloud  upon  the  mount.  During  his  absence  the  spirit 
of  Egyptian  idolatry  was  revived  in  the  memories  of  the 
people.  They  desired  an  image  of  their  God.  A  golden 
calf  like  unto  the  sacred  bull  of  Egyptian  worship  was 
made  by  Aaron,  and  they  bowed  the  knee  unto  the  idol. 
As  an  image  of  Jehovah  Himself  they  seem  to  have  regarded 
it.  But  in  this  idolatry  they  violated  the  terms  of  the  cove- 
nant. They  had  already  heard  the  ten  commandments  and 
had  given  assent;  but  even  now  while  Moses  was  receiving 
the  written  form  they  violated  the  covenant.  And  Moses 
petitioned  Jehovah  to  forgive  these  pledge-breakers  and  still 
to  keep  them  as  His  nation. 

"And  Moses  turned  and  went  down  from  the  mount,  and 
the  two  tables  of  the  testimony  were  in  his  hand;  the  tables 
were  written  on  both  their  sides;  on  the  one  side  and  on  the 
other  were  they  written. 

"And  the  tables  were  the  work  of  God,  and  the  writing 
was  the  writing  of  God,  graven  upon  the  tables. "f 

When  Moses  reached  the  camp  the  awful  truth  of  the 
broken  covenant  burst  upon  him.  Righteous  indignation 
stirred  his  heart  and  he  cast  down  the  tables  of  stone  and 
brake  them  into  pieces,  for  since  the  compact  was  violated 
no  longer  was  there  need  of  the  testimony. 

Now  again  were  the  people  to  be  purified.  The  molten 
calf  was  ground  into  powder  and  the  children  of  Israel  were 
made  to  swallow  the  powder  mingled  with  water.  Then  the 
standard  of  Jehovah  was  raised  and  a  general  amnesty  pro- 
claimed in  Jehovah's  name.  "Who  is  on  Jehovah's  side?  " 
rang  through  the  camp.  The  penitent  and  the  obedient 
flocked  unto  Moses.  The  tribe  of  Levi  came  as  one  man. 
The  act  of  idolatry  was  disavowed  by  the  people  as  a  nation. 
Those  who  persisted  in  their  sin  and  the  love  of  it  were  put 
to  the  sword.     Of  such  there  were  about  three  thousand 

•  Exod.  24 :  12-18.        t  Exod.  32 :  15, 16. 


THE  TABLES  OF  THE  COVENANT.  231 


men,  and  these  all  fell  at  the  hands  of  their  brethren,  who 
desired  to  disavow  the  great  sin  against  Jehovah.  Thus 
were  the  covenant-violators  blotted  out,  and  the  whole  nation 
stood  penitent  before  Jehovah.* 

Again  into  the  mount  went  Moses.  There  his  great  heart 
outflowed  in  intercession  for  his  brethren.  His  own  name 
out  of  the  book  of  life  might  be  blotted  if  Jehovah  would 
only  again  receive  the  people  into  favor.  And  Moses  found 
grace  in  God's  sight  and  was  granted  a  near  vision  of  His 
glory.  There  was  given  to  Moses  a  new  revelation  of  the 
name  and  nature  of  Jehovah. 

"And  Jehovah  passed  by  before  him  and  proclaimed, 
Jehovah,  Jehovah  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long-suffer- 
ing, and  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth, 

"Keeping  mercy  for  thousands,  forgiving  iniquity  and 
transgression  and  sin,  and  that  will  by  no  means  clear  the 
guilty;  visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  chil- 
dren and  upon  the  children's  children  unto  the  third  and  to 
the  fourth  generation." f 

Here  stands  revealed  the  love  of  the  deliverer.  The 
nature  of  their  God  is  mercy  and  forgiveness.  Even  His 
justice  is  made  subordinate  to  His  love  and  is  to  be  exer- 
cised only  upon  those  who  persevere  in  rejecting  Him. 

The  covenant  was  renewed  upon  this  basis  of  human 
penitence  and  divine  mercy.  Moses  prepared  again  two 
tables  of  stone  and  Jehovah  "wrote  upon  the  tables  the 
words  of  the  covenant,  the  ten  commandments. "t 

The  tables  were  called  the  testimony.  Direct  evidence 
from  the  finger  of  Jehovah  were  they.  Not  in  symbolic 
form  was  this  law  given,  but  in  definite  statements  written 
by  God  Himself.  Neither  in  form  nor  in  spirit  were  they 
ever  to  pass  away.  They  establish  and  guard  the  rights  of 
Jehovah  and  the  rights  of  the  nation  as  the  basis  of  the 
covenant.  The  first  four  commandments  specify  the  pre- 
rogatives of  Jehovah  as  sovereign,  and  those  prerogatives 
must  be  safely  guarded.  The  next  six  commandments 
specify  certain  sanctities  and  privileges  between  man  and 
man.  Violation  of  Jehovah's  rights  in  any  form — whether 
profanation  of  His  person  by  following  other  gods  or  making 
images,  or  profanation  of  His  name  and  His  day — is  to  be 

*Exod.  32.    +Exod.34:  6,7.    |  Exod.  34  :  1 ,  28. 


232  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


punished  by  death.*  Here  is  written  the  law  of  high  trea- 
son as  now  incorporated  in  the  forms  of  government  through- 
out the  world. 

The  sanctity  of  parentage,  of  life,  of  personal  purity 
among  men  i^  guarded  by  the  death  penalty. f  All  these 
penalties,  it  is  true,  are  not  incorporated  in  the  testimony. 
The  safeguard  there  set  forth  is  the  sovereign  mandate  of 
Jehovah  Himself.  All  these  commandments  must  be  obeyed 
simply  because  they  represent  the  will  of  the  lawgiver  and 
because  they  are  the  only  basis  upon  which  He  will  estab- 
lish His  covenant.  Covenant-breakers,  and,  therefore,  rebels 
against  God,  are  all  those  who  violate  any  one  of  the  ten 
words  of  the  testimony. 

The  Book  of  the  Covenant, 

The  tables  of  the  covenant  were  written  by  Jehovah  Him- 
self; the  book  of  the  covenant  was  written  by  Moses.  The 
people  of  Israel  heard  the  commandments  of  the  first  before 
they  were  recorded,  and  gave  assent  thereto.  The  "judg- 
ments" of  the  book  were  read  from  the  manuscript  form 
and  Israel  swore  an  oath  to  obey  them.:J;  The  exact  con- 
tents of  this  book  are  contained,  probably,  in  Exodus  20: 
22—23:  33.  The  tables  and  the  book  together  held  the 
terms  of  the  great  compact. 

These  two  portions  of  the  covenant  had  the  same  author- 
ity stamped  upon  them.  Both  came  from  God.  The  one 
was  the  testimony  of  Jehovah;  the  other  was  made  up  of 
"the  words  of  Jehovah."  The  one  came  directly  from  God; 
the  other  came  from  God,  through  the  agency  of  Moses. 

The  tables  are  called  "the  law,  even  the  commandment;"  § 
the  book  is  said  to  contain  "the  judgments,"!  that  is,  the 
decisions  of  the  law  in  detail.  The  primary  principles  of 
the  covenant  were  written  upon  the  tables  in  order  that  they 
might  stand  in  that  form  forever;  the  interpretation  of 
those  principles  in  connection  with  some  of  the  conditions 
of  life  among  the  Hebrews  was  set  forth  in  the  book.  The 
tables  contained  the  law  in  its  divine  and  eternal  form;  the 
book  contained  the  same  law  in  symbolic  and  changeable 
form.  This  brings  us  back,  in  fact,  to  the  relationship  ex- 
isting between  Jehovah   and  Moses.     As   mediator,  Moses 

*Exod.  21.    xExod.  21.    J  Ex.  34:  3-7.    §  Ex.  24:  12.    ||  Ex.  21:1. 


THE  BOOK  OF  THE  COVENANT.  233 


was  prophet  and  type  of  all  the  prophets  and  type  of  Christ 
Himself;  the  work  of  Moses  was  the  establishment  of  the 
theocracy,  type  of  the  reign  of  God  and  of  His  Christ  in  the 
hearts  of  all  men  in  all  the  ages  of  the  world. 

The  symbolism  of  the  book  of  the  covenant  is  apparent 
from  the  examination  of  a  few  of  its  statements.  The  first 
injunction  deals  with  the  matter  of  divine  worship.  It 
gives  an  interpretation  to  the  Hebrew  nation  of  that  day  of 
the  meaning  of  the  first  and  second  commandments.  "And 
Jehovah  said  unto  Moses,  Thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,  ye  have  seen  that  I  have  talked  with  you 
from  heaven. 

"  Ye  shall  not  make  with  me  gods  of  silver,  neither  shall 
ye  make  unto  you  gods  of  gold."  * 

But  the  question  would  naturally  spring  to  the  lips  of 
the  Hebrew,  "  If  not  by  means  of  idols,  as  the  Egyptians 
taught  us,  then  how  shall  we  worship  Jehovah?  "  Alto- 
gether by  the  sacrifice  of  victims  upon  the  altar.  So  ran 
the  answer.  "An  altar  of  earth  thou  shalt  make  unto  me."t 
The  commandment  enjoining  worship  was  intended  to  remain 
in  force  forever;  but  the  commandment  enjoining  the  altar 
of  earth  was  meant  to  be  binding  only  until  the  coming  of 
Christ. 

A  second  fact  that  indicates  the  symbolism  of  the  book 
of  the  covenant  is  the  attachment  of  temporal  penal- 
ties to  some  of  the  statutes.  This  penal  legislation  was 
enacted  according  to  a  definite  principle,  and  that  principle 
was  "  life  for  life,  eye  for  eye,  tooth  for  tooth,  hand  for  hand, 
foot  for  foot,  burning  for  burning,  wound  for  wound,  stripe 
for  stripe."  J  Hence,  the  death  penalty  was  attached  to  the 
first  eight  commandments. §  Nothing  less  than  human  life 
could  be  used  to  measure  the  value  of  God's  own  sanctity 
and  the  sanctity  of  human  life  itself  and  of  human  purity. 
And  yet  a  great  change  has  taken  place  in  the  form  of  this 
legislation.  Christian  legislation,  which  professes  to  observe 
the  spirit  of  divine  law,  does  not  punish  idolatry;  but  the 
death  penalty  here  has  been  transferred  to  crimes  against 
the  state  itself  or  its  monarchical  head.  Idolatry  was  trea- 
son against  God;  the  penalty  against  such  treason  is  now 

*  Exod.  20 :  22, 23.    +  Exod.  20 :  24.    t  Exod.  21 :  2:5-25.    g  Exod.  22 :  20 ;  32 ;  24 :  16  ;  31 :  14 ; 
21:  15;  17;  21:  12;  21:  16;  Lev.  20:  10. 


234  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


left  to  God;  but  treason  against  the  human  monarch  is  vis- 
ited with  death.  In  like  manner,  blasphemy,  Sabbath- 
breaking,  dishonor  to  parents,  adultery  and  theft  are  now 
punished  in  lighter  methods  than  the  use  of  the  death  pen- 
alty. Murder  alone  must  still  be  expiated  by  means  of  the 
life-blood.  The  reason  for  this  change  is  not  that  these 
crimes  are  less  heinous  now  than  at  that  time;  but  the  con- 
ditions of  life  have  changed,  and  moreover,  as  chief  reason, 
the  milder  legislation  of  the  sermon  on  the  mount  has  su- 
perseded the  Mosaic  code.  That  such  a  change  in  form 
could  take  place  is  clearly  shown  in  the  symbolic  character 
of  the  book  of  the  covenant. 

Another  indication  of  this  future  change  in  the  form  of 
penalties  is  found  in  Leviticus  xxvi.,  closely  linked  with  the 
book  of  the  covenant.  "  If  ye  will  not  hearken  unto  me, 
and  will  not  do  all  these  commandments, 

"And  if  ye  shall  despise  my  statutes,  or  if  your  soul  ab- 
hor my  judgments,  so  that  ye  will  not  do  all  my  com- 
mandments, that  ye  break  my  covenant,  I  also  will  do  this 
unto  you."  *  If  thus  the  people  disobey,  then  God  will 
visit  upon  them  all  the  temporal  calamities  that  follow  in 
the  train  of  (1)  disease,  (2)  famine  and  (3)  defeat, f  The 
meaning  of  all  this  can  only  be  that  God  retains  within 
His  own  power  the  final  punishment  of  all  disobedience; 
but  that  in  Moses'  time  the  penalty  of  death  must  be  im- 
posed by  the  rulers  among  the  people  as  indication  to  a 
primitive  race  of  the  heinous  nature  of  disobedience. 

The  book  of  the  covenant  is  closed  by  a  reference  to  the 
presence  of  Jehovah  in  the  midst  of  His  people.  The  angel 
of  the  covenant  will  represent  Him  and  go  before  the  nation 
to  lead  them  in  the  way.  "  My  name  is  in  him,"  X  said  Je- 
hovah. As  a  leader  in  the  wilderness  and  a  leader  in  bat- 
tle will  this  angel  be,  if  the  people  continue  to  obey.  He 
shall  bring  them  into  the  land  promised  unto  Abraham. 

Thus,  by  means  of  the  ideas  embodied  in  altars  and  an- 
gels and  promised  homes,  does  Moses  explain  unto  Israel 
the  principles  of  that  theocracy  which  belongs  to  the  realm 
of  the  human  soul,  and  which  shall  extend  forever  in  the 
place  where  God  reigns  in  the  heavens. 

*  Lev.  26.    +  Lev.  26.    JExod.  23:21. 


THE  ARK  OF  THE  COVENANT.  235 


The  Ark  of  the  Covenant. 

(Exodus  S5-31;  35-40.) 

After  the  covenant  was  ratified  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Sinai, 
Jehovah  called  Moses  into  the  midst  of  the  cloud  and  gave 
him  directions  for  making  the  ark  of  the  covenant  and  the 
tabernacle  of  the  testimony.  The  ark  was  designed  to  hold 
the  stone  tables  of  the  covenant;  it  was  to  be  surmounted  by 
the  cherubim,  and  above  it  was  to  rest  the  cloud  that  sym- 
bolized God's  presence.  Within  the  tabernacle  was  this  ark 
to  rest,  in  symbol  that  God  dwelt  in  the  midst  of  His  people, 
making  His  abode  in  a  tent  constructed  like  the  tents  of  the 
children  of  Israel. 

The  ark  of  the  covenant  was  the  chief  part  of  this  sanc- 
tuary, since  it  represented  Jehovah  Himself  in  plighted 
union  with  Israel.  The  tabernacle  itself  was  subordinate  in 
importance  to  the  ark,  even  as  the  house  is  subordinate  to 
him  who  dwells  therein.  The  construction  of  the  ark  and  its 
establishment  in  the  tabernacle  brought  to  a  close  the  great 
national  covenant.  Let  us,  therefore,  review  the  order  of 
events  that  were  terminated  by  the  placing  of  the  ark  in  its 
sacred  dwelling-place. 

First  of  all,  the  voice  of  Jehovah  uttered  the  ten  com- 
mandments from  the  summit  of  Sinai.  Then,  next  in  order, 
Moses  wrote  down  the  short  list  of  legal  interpretations  in 
the  book  of  the  covenant,  and,  then,  Israel  swore  to  obey 
the  commandments  and  the  book.  They  accepted  the  law, 
and  also  the  principles  of  its  interpretation  as  written  by 
Moses.* 

After  the  making  of  the  covenant  in  fact,  then  was  it  rati- 
fied also  in  symbol.  Immediately  after  the  oath  of  the  peo- 
ple had  been  sanctified  by  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  Moses 
was  commanded  to  make  the  ark,t  that  was  to  contain  the 
tables  of  the  ten  commandments,  with  the  mercy-seat  above. 
Next  was  he  commanded  to  make  the  holy  table  and  the 
holy  candlestick  to  be  set  in  the  holy  place  of  the  sanctuary; 
and  after  all  this  was  he  commanded  to  make  the  tabernacle 
itself.t  As  matters  connected  with  the  tabernacle,  instruc- 
tions were  given  him  concerning  the  brazen  altar  and  the 
court  and  the  ministers  of  the  whole  sanctuary. §     Following 

*Exod.l9:  24.    +Exod.  26:  10-16.    |  Exod.  26.    §Exod.28,  29. 


236  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


all  these  instructions  concerning  the  dwelling-place  of  the 
law,  the  tables  of  the  law  were  last  of  all  given  to  Moses. 

During  eighty  days  and  eighty  nights  was  Moses  in  the 
mount  in  the  presence  of  Jehovah.*  When  he  returned 
from  this  long  conference,  the  seal  of  God's  presence  was 
visible  upon  the  very  countenance  of  Moses,  for  the  skin  of 
his  face  shone  in  the  presence  of  the  people,  and  he  wore  a 
veil  over  his  features  in  sign  of  the  glory  revealed  to  him 
alone.  It  was  the  glory  of  the  completed  covenant  reflected 
in  the  face  of  him  who  had  represented  Israel.  That  same 
glory  was  now  to  be  given  a  permanent  abiding-place  over 
the  ark  of  the  covenant.  Moses  at  once  called  the  people  to 
the  work  of  making  a  symbolic  house  of  God  upon  earth. 

In  Exodus  25-31,  we  have  the  manual  of  divine  direc- 
tion as  to  how  the  ark  and  its  tent  shall  be  made.  In  Exo- 
dus 35-40,  we  have  the  manual  of  construction,  where 
all  the  commandments  of  Jehovah  are  obeyed  and  the  work 
is  completed. 

In  the  order  of  construction,  the  tabernacle  was  first 
made.  The  architect  was  Jehovah  Himself,  for  He  gave 
unto  Moses  in  the  mount  the  pattern  of  it.f  The  chief  con- 
structors were  Bezaleel  and  Aholiab,  who  were  called  by  Je- 
hovah unto  this  special  work,  and  were  men  filled  "with  the 
spirit  of  God,  in  wisdom,  in  understanding,  and  in  knowl- 
edge and  in  all  manner  of  workmanship." J  All  the  assist- 
ant workmen  were  "  wise-hearted,"  "  in  whom  Jehovah  put 
wisdom  and  understanding."^  Moreover,  the  material  used 
in  the  construction  was  the  free-will  offering  of  the  people 
in  obedience  to  the  command  of  Jehovah.  In  design,  in 
material,  in  construction,  the  sanctuary  was  Jehovah's. 

In  three  parts  was  the  sanctuary  made.  Curtains  of  fine 
twined  linen  and  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  were  bound 
together  by  clasps  of  gold  to  form  the  inner  dwelling-place. 
In  this  great  web  were  embroidered  figures  of  cherubim,  or 
human  forms  with  wings,  symbolizing  the  highest  type  of 
human  adoration  before  God.|| 

As  a  protection  for  this  inner  abode  of  curtains,  there  was 
made  a  tent  of  goat's  hair,  and  then,  as  a  covering  for  the 
tent,  there  was  stretched  a  canvas  of  red  ram-skins,  and 
above  that,  a  covering  of  badger's  skins. \ 

*Exod.  24:  18;   34:  2S.    +Esod.  25:   9.    JExod.  35:   30-35.    gExod.  36:  1.    ||  Exod.  36: 
8-13.    IT  Exod.  36:  4-19. 


TEE  ARK  OF  TEE  COVENANT.  237 


Within  the  inner  dwelling-place  there  was  set  up  a  rec- 
tangular structure  of  acacia  boards,  resting  in  silver  sockets 
and  coupled  together  with  bars  and  rings.  Then  a  partition 
vail  and  a  door-way  vail  of  the  same  material  with  the  cur- 
tains themselves,  completed  the  tabernacle.  The  sanctuary 
now  awaited  its  holy  furniture,  in  order  that  a  peculiar  sig- 
nificance might  belong  to  the  entire  structure. 

The  ark  of  the  covenant  was  made  by  Bezaleel  himself. 
A  rectangular  chest  of  acacia  wood,  overlaid  with  gold,  and 
borne  by  rings  and  staves;  this  formed  the  base.  The  cov- 
ering of  the  chest  was  a  solid  plate  of  gold  with  tw^o  cher- 
ubs standing  upon  it,  all  beaten  from  one  piece  of  metal. 
This  was  the  mercy  seat. 

As  accompaniments  of  the  ark  were  the  table  of  shew- 
bread  and  its  vessels,  the  seven-branched  candlestick,  the 
altar  of  incense,  the  brazen  altar,  the  laver  and  the  court.* 
These  were  merely  the  implements  of  the  holy  ritual,  of 
which  the  ark  was  to  be  the  centre.  Then  were  made  the 
dresses  of  the  priests  of  the  same  blue  and  purple  and  scar- 
let material.! 

At  last  came  the  great  day  of  dedication.  "  In  the  first 
month  in  the  second  year,  on  the  first  day  of  the  month," 
Jehovah's  symbolic  residence  among  His  people  was  consum- 
mated. The  tabernacle  was  upreared.  Like  a  royal  palace 
it  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  camp,  with  its  royal  trappings 
of  blue  and  purple  and  scarlet.  In  these  imperial  surround- 
ings was  Jehovah  coming  to  dwell. 

Then  was  brought  the  symbol  of  Jehovah's  presence.  In 
the  ark  were  placed  the  stone  tables  of  the  covenant,  and 
upon  the  ark  was  set  the  mercy  seat.+  Along  with  the  tables 
was  placed  the  omer  of  manna.§  Hence  did  it  become  the 
ark  of  the  covenant,  or  the  ark  of  the  testimony.  This 
ark  was  placed  in  the  inner  chamber  of  the  tabernacle,  be- 
yond the  dividing-vail.  Then  in  their  proper  order  and 
place  were  arranged  the  vessels  of  the  sanctuary,  and  next 
followed  the  sanctification  of  Aaron  and  his  sons  as  priests. 
"  Holiness  to  Jehovah "  was  inscribed  on  Aaron's  breast- 
plate as  he  came  forward  to  enter  into  God's  service.  The 
lamps  were  lighted,  the  altars  began  to  smoke  with  the 
burning  of  incense  and  the  burning  of  the  sacrifice.     Moses 

*  Exod.  37  :  10.— 38  :  31.    +  Esod.  39.    I  Exod.  25 :  16.    g  Exod.  16 :  33,  34. 


238  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


and  Aaron  stood  in  official  robes  at  the  door  of  the  sanctuary, 
for  their  part  of  the  work  was  finished.* 

"  Then  a  cloud  covered  the  tent  of  the  congregation,  and 
the  glory  of  Jehovah  filled  the  tabernacle.  And  Moses  was 
not  able  to  enter  into  the  tent  of  the  congregation,  because 
the  cloud  abode  thereon,  and  the  glory  of  Jehovah  filled  the 
tabernacle."  t 

The  great  covenant  was  now  completed,  and  the  ark  rested 
in  the  midst  of  the  camp  as  the  visible  symbol  thereof.  The 
ark  was  shut  away  from  the  sight  of  the  people  behind  the 
vail  of  the  most  holy  place  of  the  tabernacle.  None  but 
Moses  at  first,  and  then  the  High  Priest  could  come  before 
the  ark.  There  God  dwelt  in  the  cloud  that  hovered  over 
the  mercy  seat  between  the  cherubim.  "And  when  Moses 
was  gone  into  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  to  speak 
with  Him,  then  he  heard  the  voice  speaking  unto  him  from 
off  the  mercy  seat  that  was  upon  the  ark  of  testimony  from 
between  the  two  cherubim;  and  he  spake  unto  Him."]: 

In  the  covenant' was  the  voice  of  Jehovah  accepted  by  Israel 
as  their  law;  the  ark  of  the  covenant  was  the  sacred  seal 
and  symbol  whence  came  the  voice  of  Jehovah  at  all  times 
unto  the  representative  of  the  nation.  The  ark  was  borne 
along  upon  the  march,  and  thus  Jehovah  dwelt  continually 
with  Israel  to  vouchsafe  guidance  forever.  For  even  so  did 
He  promise:  "  I  will  dwell  among  the  children  of  Israel  and 
will  be  their  God. 

"And  they  shall  know  that  I  am  Jehovah  their  God  that 
brought  them  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  that  I  may 
dwell  among  them;  I  am  Jehovah  their  God.§ 

Jehovah,  the  Sovereign.  King. 

We  are  now  in  a  position  to  understand  that  the  national 
covenant  at  Sinai  was  something  more  than  the  establish- 
ment of  a  form  of  government.  The  covenant  was  prima- 
rily a  revelation  of  the  nature  and  character  of  God.  As 
such  it  forms  an  integral  part  of  that  revelation  which  is 
recorded  in  the  story  of  creation  and  of  the  patriarchs  and 
in  the  story  of  the  exodus  from  Egypt.  This  will  appear 
when  we  array  in  order  many  facts  imbedded  in  the  sacred 
record.  All  these  facts  centre  about  the  great  truth  that 
Israel,  in  the.  covenant,  accepts  Jehovah  as  sovereign  king. 

•Exod.40.    +Exod.40.    J  Exod.  25:  20-22;  Numb.  7:  89.    gExod.  29:  45,  46. 


JEHOVAH  THE  SOVEREIGN  KING.  239 


Jehovah  is  king  because  He  is  deliverer.  This  is  the  first 
truth  presented  by  the  narrative  of  the  covenant.  It  is  the 
leading  fact  in  the  history.  It  is  also  the  one  great  fact  that 
binds  together  the  Book  of  Genesis  with  the  other  four  books 
of  the  Pentateuch  into  one  unbroken  history.  For  in  the 
story  that  begins  in  Genesis  God  appears  unto  Abraham  and 
declares,  "  I  will  surely  bless  thee  and  thy  seed  after  thee."* 
In  the  same  narrative,  carried  on  in  Exodus,  God  appears 
to  Moses  and  thus  speaks  :  "I  am  Jehovah,  God  of  your 
fathers,  God  of  Abraham,  God  of  Isaac,  and  God  of  Jacob, 
and  I  am  come  down  to  deliver  My  people."!  Then  again 
at  the  Red  Sea  Israel  sings  thus  unto  God  :  "Jehovah  is 
.  .  .  .  become  my  salvation.  .  .  .  He  is  ...  . 
my  fathers'  God,  and  I  will  exalt  Him."  J  At  Sinai  the 
great  sequel  is  declared  :  "I  am  Jehovah  thy  God  which 
have  brought  thee     .     .     .     out  of  the  house  of  bondage. "§ 

The  entire  history  is  simply  the  story  of  deliverance 
promised  and  deliverance  completed.  The  whole  work  is 
wrought  by  the  same  God  who  is  accepted  as  eternal  king 
because  He  hath  chosen  Israel  as  His  people  and  has  deliv- 
ered them  with  an  high  hand. 

But  this  unity  of  the  nature  of  Jehovah  is  apparent  from 
other  facts  than  the  announcement  of  His  name.  At  the 
same  time  the  deliverance  wrought  is  far  greater  than  a 
temporal  deliverance  from  the  task-masters  of  Egypt.  All 
this  appears  from  the  character  of  the  ten  commandments. 
Obedience  unto  these  will  bring  deliverance  not  merely 
from  earthly  despots,  but  first  of  all  from  the  bondage  of 
sin.  Very  naturally,  therefore,  we  find  no  new  revelation 
in  the  details  of  the  subject-matter  of  the  commandments.! 
Every  duty  enjoined  in  them  is  found  revealed  in  the  Book 
of  Genesis  and  the  early  part  of  the  Book  of  Exodus. 

The  first  three  commandments  concerning  the  unity  and 
sanctity  of  God's  person  and  the  sanctity  of  His  name,  that 
neither  of  these  shall  be  desecrated  by  polytheism  nor  by 
image  worship  nor  by  blasphemy;  these  three  injunctions 
underlie  the  entire  history  recorded  in  the  Book  of  Genesis. 
Time  and  time  again  are  they  repeated  in  didactic  form — 
in  visions,  in  deliverances,  in  punishment  of  the  enemies 
of  God's  people.     They  are  fundamental  principles  involved 

*Gen.l5.    +Exod.  3:  15,  8.    tExod.l5:2.    §Exod.20:l.    ||  Speaker's  Com.  I.;  433. 


240  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


in  the  revelations  recorded  in  the  early  parts  of  the  Penta- 
teuch. 

The  fourth  commandment  was  observed  before  the  peo- 
ple arrived  at  Sinai,  even  while  they  were  marching  through 
the  sands  and  rocks  of  the  upper  peninsula.*  And  this  was 
true,  because  the  obligation  to  sanctify  God's  day  is  based 
upon  His  example  of  sanctifying  the  seventh  day  after  the 
six  days  of  creation.  This  reason  held  good  among  the  pa- 
triarchs unto  whom  was  revealed  the  fact  that  God  is  the 
creator,  and  it  was  assigned  as  the  reason  for  the  observance 
of  God's  day  in  the  fourth  commandment. f  In  the  legis- 
lation that  follows  the  announcement  of  the  commandments, 
the  sacredness  of  the  Sabbath  seems  to  be  a  touch-stone. 
The  Sabbath  day  and  the  sabbatical  year  are  incorporated 
in  the  book  of  the  covenant  ;;|:  the  Sabbath  is  to  be  kept 
holy  even  in  preparing  material  for  the  sanctuary. §  After- 
wards, when  Moses  expounds  the  law  unto  Israel,  he  ex- 
presses a  second  reason  for  observing  the  sacredness  of  the 
Sabbath;  that  reason  is  the  deliverance  wrought  for  the  peo- 
ple in  the  exodus. ||  Thus  was  the  Sabbath  declared  to  be  a 
sacramental  bond  between  Jehovah  and  His  people.  It  was 
an  old  and  recognized  duty  made  into  a  badge  of  the  cove- 
nant. The  rainbow  existed  before  Noah's  time,  but  became 
with  him  the  sign  of  a  new  covenant.  The  Sabbath  was  a 
holy  day  from  the  close  of  creation,  and  as  such  was  bind- 
ing on  all  nations  whether  they  recognized  it  or  not.  After 
the  covenant  at  Sinai  it  had  the  added  significance  that  it 
became  a  token  of  deliverance  from  Egypt,  and  of  delive- 
rance from  sin  forever.  "  It  [the  Sabbath]  is  a  sign  be- 
tween me  and  you  throughout  your  generations;  that  ye 
may  know  that  I  am  Jehovah  that  doth  sanctify  you."l" 

The  remaining  six  commandments  concerning  the  sanc- 
tity of  certain  properties  and  privileges  of  the  individual 
man — all  these  are  likewise  incorporated  in  the  early  parts 
of  the  Pentateuch.  The  duties  enjoined  in  these  six  com- 
mandments are  amply  illustrated  in  the  lives  of  the  patri- 
archs. 

Hence,  the  covenant  is  based  upon  the  patriarchate  and 
the  exodus,  not  merely  as  a  historical  sequence,  but  in  the 

*Exod.  16:  29,  30.        f  Exod.  20:  11.       J  Exod.  23:  10-12.       §  Exod.  35:  1-3.        ||Deut.  5, 
IT  Exod.  31 :  13-17. 


JEHOVAH  THE  SOVEREIGN  KING.  241 


matter  of  fundamental  principles.  The  corner-stone  of  the 
covenant  is  the  character  of  Jehovah — a  character  already- 
revealed  through  long  dealings  with  his  chosen  tribes,  and 
now  manifestly  shown  in  keeping  the  promises  made  centu- 
ries before  unto  the  fathers  of  this  people.  It  is  the  same 
Jehovah  who  chose  their  fathers,  because  He  loved  their 
fathers,  that  has  now  chosen  them  because  He  loves  them. 
It  is  the  same  Jehovah  who  showed  mercy  unto  Noah  and 
unto  Abraham,  and  unto  Jacob,  who  has  now  shown  mercy 
unto  them,  and  who  is  willing  to  show  mercy  unto  their 
children,  even  to  the  third  and  fourth  generations  of  them 
that  love  Him.  It  is  the  same  God  who  overwhelmed  the 
world  of  wicked  men  in  the  flood,  who  has  now  shown  His 
right  arm  in  strength  to  overwhelm  the  Egyptians  in  the 
Red  Sea.  This  same  Eternal  Being  is  now  accepted  as  the 
absolute  and  sovereign  king  over  Israel,  because  of  His  love, 
and  because  of  His  might  in  delivering  them,  and  in  reveal- 
ing Himself  as  the  source  of  physical  and  spiritual,  of  indi- 
vidual, and  of  national  life. 

This  sovereignty  of  God  is  recognized  in  direct  terms  in 
the  stone  tables.  He  is  accepted  as  the  only  God  in  all  the 
earth.  He  is  accepted  as  the  only  object  of  worship.  He  is 
accepted  as  the  only  source  of  authority  in  all  affairs  of  men, 
temporal  and  eternal.  The  people  receive  the  law  as  the 
word  of  their  absolute  king. 

But  this  sovereignty  is  yet  more  specifically  recognized  in 
every  part  of  the  terms  of  the  covenant.  All  the  duties  im- 
posed upon  the  nation  are  assigned  because  of  His  ownership 
of  all  the  earth,  and  particularly  His  ownership  of  Israel. 
"Ye  shall  be  a  peculiar  treasure  unto  me  above  all  people; 
for  all  the  earth  is  mine."  *  Israel  is  God's  costly  possession,, 
set  apart  from  His  other  possessions  unto  the  particular  des- 
tiny of  holiness  and  blessedness.  God  owns  His  people  and, 
in  consequence,  they  are  in  debt  to  Him  to  the  extent  of  im- 
plicit obedience  unto  all  His  laws. 

(a)  The  first  instance  of  this  claim  of  ownership  on  the 
part  of  Jehovah  is  the  example  just  citecj  where  He  claimed 
the  entire  nation  as  His  property.  As  a  symbol  of  this  fact, 
that  all  the  people  themselves  belong  to  Him,  Jehovah  com- 
manded that  all  the  first-born  of  men  should  be  consecrated 

*  Exodus  19:  5. 

16 


242  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


unto  Him  by  a  formal,  priestly  ceremony.*  These  were  to 
be  His  ministers,  representing  the  fact  that  the  entire  nation 
was  to  be  a  kingdom  of  priests.  In  the  practical  adminis- 
tration of  the  ritual,  however,  the  tribe  of  Levi  was  set  apart 
to  serve  in  the  temple,  in  the  place  of  these  first-born  among 
men.  f  This  ownership  of  men  was  symbolized,  also,  in  the 
laws  concerning  Hebrew  slavery.  "  If  thou  buy  an  Hebrew 
servant,  six  years  he  shall  serve:  and  in  the  seventh  he  shall 
go  out  free  for  nothing."  J  Eternal  slavery  was  not  coun- 
tenanced, because  such  a  system  would  imply  that  man 
might  have  absolute  ownership  of  man.  But  slavery  was 
thus  limited  in  order  to  show  that  all  men  are  Jehovah's 
personal  property.  Another  symbol  of  God's  ownership  is 
to  be  found  in  the  laws  concerning  diet.  God's  people  must 
be  clean  in  their  manner  of  eating  if  they  would  be  holy  in 
their  lives.  With  the  flesh  of  unclean  beasts  they  might 
not  defile  themselves,  nor  by  contact  with  dead  flesh  of  any 
sort  whatsoever.  § 

(b)  Ownership  of  cattle  was  likewise  claimed  by  Jehovah. 
The  first-born  of  beasts  were  to  be  set  apart  unto  Him  as 
victims.  The  firstling  of  the  ass,  being  an  unclean  animal 
and  not  fitted  for  sacrifice,  might  be  redeemed  with  a  lamb. 
In  like  manner,  the  horse  and  the  camel  and  every  unclean 
beast  might  be  thus  redeemed  by  an  ofi'ering  of  other  sort.  I 

(c)  "The  land  is  mine;  for  ye  are  strangers  and  sojourn- 
ers with  me."^  Thus  spake  Jehovah  concerning  His  own- 
ership of  the  soil.  His  people  are  simply  His  guests.  Hence 
did  He  declare  the  law  concerning  the  reversion  of  all  lands 
to  their  original  possessors  after  the  lapse  of  fifty  years. 
Each  individual  was  to  be  granted  a  portion  of  land  as  God's 
tenant.  His  possession  was  thus  based  on  God's  gift.  If 
the  man  should  sell  the  lease,  it  would  revert  to  him  at  the 
next  sabbatical  year.  No  man  could  use  money  in  pur- 
chasing the  inheritance  of  many  men  and  thus  build  up  a 
great  private  domain.  The  land  was  Jehovah's  and  He 
chose  to  keep  it  in  the  hands  of  these  families  unto  whom  it 
was  at  the  first  assigned.** 

(d).  "  The  first  fruits  for  Jehovah"  were  required  of  every 
harvest,  of  the  vintage,  the  threshing-floor,  the  wine-press, 

*Exod.  13:  2,  n,  12.    +Numb.  2:  12.    JExod.  21:  2.    §  Lev.  11  and  17.    ||Numb.  18:  15. 
IT  Lev.  25:  23.    **Lev.  25:  23. 


JEHOVAH  THE  SOVEREIGN  KING.  243 


the  oil-press,  the  first  baked  bread  of  the  new  crop,  and  tlie 
first  fleeces  of  tlie  flock.  All  these  gifts  must  be  brought  to 
the  temple  and  there  offered  unto  Jehovah  as  the  subsist- 
ence of  His  priests.*  In  this  way  was  the  entire  fruit  of  the 
earth  dedicated  to  Jehovah,  just  as  the  nation  was  conse- 
crated to  Him  in  the  dedication  of  the  first-born. 

(e).  The  tithe. — In  addition  to  the  first-fruits  of  all  the 
products  of  the  earth  and  the  heave-offerings  that  were  pre- 
sented along  with  those  first  fruits,  Jehovah  ordained  that 
unto  the  Levites  should  be  given  a  tenth  of  all  the  posses- 
sions of  the  other  tribes  of  Israel.  "  Behold,  I  have  given 
the  children  of  Levi  all  the  tenth  in  Israel  for  an  inherit- 
ance, for  their  service  which  they  serve,  even  the  service  of 
the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation."  f  This  tribute  was  re- 
cognized among  the  patriarchs  when  Abram  rendered  a  tithe 
to  Melchizedek  and  Jacob  promised  tithes  unto  God  if  he 
should  be  permitted  to  return  to  his  father's  house.  But 
now  was  it  made  a  part  of  the  covenant  that  a  tenth  of 
all  property  should  be  rendered  unto  Jehovah  for  the  sup- 
port of  His  ministers,  the  entire  system  symbolizing  the 
fact  that  God  is  the  absolute  owner  of  all  the  possessions  of 
men.  Therefore,  God  required  a  second  tenth  from  the  nine 
parts  left  after  the  first  tithing,  to  be  offered  to  Him  as  a 
feast  in  the  sanctuary.  In  every  approach  unto  -Jehovah 
on  the  part  of  His  subjects,  they  were  required  to  present 
not  only  themselves,  but  a  part  of  their  substance  in  sign 
of  the  fact  that  Jehovah,  the  king,  possesses  and  holds 
forever  all  that  which  He  has  created  and  which  He  sus- 
tains by  His  divine  power. 

Jehovah  established  His  kingship  throughout  upon  the 
principle  of  unlikeness  to  the  royalty  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 
The  Egyptians  worshipped  the  sun  as  chief  god;  Jehovah 
declared  Himself  as  the  creator  of  the  sun.  The  Egyptians 
worshipped  local  deities  and  bowed  down  to  their  images; 
they  regarded  the  reigning  sovereign  as  '^  the  living  image 
and  vice-gerent  of  the  sun-god; "+  the  Pharaoh's  statues 
were  upreared  in  every  spot  as  objects  of  worship,  and  the 
king's  palace  was  in  reality  a  great  temple;  but  the  Israel- 
ites were  commanded  to  worship  the  One  only  God,  their 
sovereign  king,  who  had  conquered  Egypt's  king;  and  that 

*  Exod.  23 :  19 ;  Numb.  15  and  18 ;  Lev.  23.    +  Numb.  18 :  21.    t  Renouf .,  p.  167. 


244  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


worship  was  to  be  rendered  not  with  images,  but  with  sim- 
ple obedience  to  His  laws.  Since  the  Israelites  were  to  be- 
come an  holy  nation,  unlike  all  other  nations,  the  founda- 
tion of  such  character  was  laid  in  the  revelation  of  Jehovah 
as  one  who  is  unlike  all  other  gods. 

Although  images  of  God  were  forbidden,  yet  did  He  not 
withdraw  Himself  from  communion  with  His  people.  He 
spake  with  Moses  in  the  mount;  He  revealed  His  glory  there 
to  Moses  and  the  elders,  and  He  appeared  in  the  cloud 
above  and  within  the  tabernacle.  While  He  thus  drew  near 
to  His  people  in  a  manner  far  beyond  the  conception  of 
Egyptian  worshippers,  yet  did  He  declare  His  character  to 
be  unlike  anything  known  among  the  Egyptian  gods.  "Un- 
der the  name  of  god,  the  Egyptians  did  not  understand,  as 
we  do,  a  being  without  body,  parts  or  passions.  The  bodies 
of  the  gods  are  spoken  of  as  well  as  their  souls,  and  they 
have  both  parts  and  passions;  they  are  described  as  suffer- 
ing from  hunger  and  thirst,  old  age,  disease,  fear  and  sor- 
row  All  the  great  gods  require  protec- 
tion. Osiris  is  helpless  against  his  enemies,  and  his  remains 
are  protected  by  his  wife  and  sister."*  Jehovah  reveals 
Himself  as  a  spiritual  being.  The  character  of  the  Egyp- 
tian gods  is  not  at  all  imitated.  A  new  principle,  absolutely 
unknown  to  all  heathen  mythologies,  is  declared  as  the  basis 
of  Jehovah's  character.  As  spirit.  He  is  unseen  and  eter- 
nal; as  a  person,  He  loves  His  people  and  speaks  unto  them 
through  the  mediator,  Moses. 

Among  the  Egyptians  different  representatives  of  the  gods 
ruled  upon  the  earth.  Many  animals  were  worshipped  as 
deities;  the  kings  themselves  sprang  from  the  sun;  the  ser- 
pent was  carved  on  the  monuments  as  a  symbol  of  royal 
power.  In  contrast  with  all  this  diversity,  Jehovah  alone 
dwelt  in  the  midst  of  His  people  in  the  tabernacle;  in  con- 
trast with  all  the  symbols  of  power  that  surrounded  the 
Pharaoh,  Jehovah's  tent  was  constructed  in  great  simplicity 
and  the  symbols  of  mercy  were  used  as  the  signs  of  His 
presence.  It  is  true  that  the  tabernacle  was  made  of  cur- 
tains of  purple,  scarlet  and  gold,  the  trappings  that  belong 
to  royalty  in  all  ages;  the  tabernacle  was  thus  a  palace 
wherein   the  King   of  Israel    held   His   court;  but,   on  the 

*Renouf.,  p.  89. 


JEHOVAH  THE  SOVEREIGN  KING.  245 


other  hand,  the  king's  house  was  only  a  tent  in  the  midst  of 
the  camp  of  tents.  Then,  the  mercy-seat  was  the  specific 
place  of  His  presence;  the  cloud  of  glory  was  the  specific 
sign  of  His  presence,  and  that  cloud  had  been  and  continued 
to  be  the  sign  of  deliverance.  By  means  of  sacrifices,  offered 
upon  the  altars  that  stood  in  the  ante-chambers,  could  the 
God  of  mercy  be  approached. 

Chiefly,  however,  from  the  political  point  of  view,  do  we 
observe  the  contrast  between  the  character  of  Jehovah  and 
that  of  the  Pharaohs.  Politics  and  religion  with  all  these 
ancient  peoples  were  virtually  the  same,  but  we  may  speak 
of  the  political  character  of  the  king  as  pertaining  to  the 
origin  and  exercise  of  his  authority  as  a  ruler.  The  Pha- 
raohs inherited  their  power,  and  that  power  was  despotic. 
The  Pharaoh  owned  his  people — body  and  soul — because 
his  father  had  owned  them  and  had  handed  them  down  to 
his  son  as  he  bequeathed  his  lands  and  his  cattle.  Jehovah's 
kingship,  however,  rested  upon  the  covenant  made  at  Sinai. 
His  sovereignty  was  accorded  Him  in  this  great  national 
compact.  Jehovah's  character  as  creator  and  deliverer  was 
revealed  unto  the  people;  an  appeal  was  thus  made  to  their 
reason  as  individual  men;  the  law  was  revealed  as  contain- 
ing the  will  and  purpose  of  Jehovah,  and  then  the  nation, 
by  assenting  to  the  terms  of  the  covenant,  chose  Him  as 
their  king.  They  yielded  unto  Him  the  intelligent  obedi- 
ence of  men  who  were  free  to  consent  or  free  to  refuse. 
The  new  principle,  the  dignity  of  the  individual  man,  was 
thus  declared.  The  power  of  earthly  despots  over  the  life 
and  interests  of  their  subjects  was  denied;  the  foundation 
for  all  free  government  was  laid  in  this  covenant  wherein 
an  entire  nation  swore  to  obey  Jehovah  alone  as  their  sover- 
eign king. 


246  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  National  Administration.    The  Priests  as  Ministers 

OF  State. 

[Book  of  Leviticus.] 
The  Kingdom  Visible. 

THE  Book  of  Exodus  has  shown  us  how  Jehovah  estab- 
lished Himself  in  the  tabernacle  as  a  king  in  the  midst 
of  His  people.  His  form  and  His  face  were  never  seen,  but 
the  symbols  of  His  presence  were  always  visible.  His  power 
was  real  and  absolute  and  touched  the  physical  and  spirit- 
ual life  of  all  Israel.  This  spiritual,  invisible  authority 
was  now  enthroned  in  a  visible  form  of  administration. 
Jehovah's  government  was  regularly  and  definitely  organ- 
ized. Aaron  and  his  sons  were  selected  as  His  priests  or 
ministers  of  State.  Moses  was  the  great  mediator  or  prophet 
of  Jehovah.  Directions  were  given  concerning  the  selection 
of  a  king  from  the  people.  This  official  was  not  chosen 
until  many  years  later  in  the  history  of  Israel,  and  then  the 
king  was  simply  Jehovah's  representative  as  the  executive 
head  of  the  divine  government.  The  supreme  authority  of 
Jehovah  was,  therefore,  to  be  carried  into  effect  through 
three  heads  of  administration — priest,  prophet,  and  king. 
Each  of  these  heads  of  departments  had  his  peculiar  offi- 
cial functions.  Each  one  of  them  was  an  Israelite  to  the 
manor  born.  Each  administered  the  duties  of  his  office  by 
the  use  of  certain  symbols  that  set  forth  the  authority  of 
Jehovah  over  the  officer  and  over  the  people.  The  invisible 
king  made  Himself  known  through  a  form  of  government 
which  was  constituted  entirely  of  visible  symbols. 

Jehovah's  royal  tent  was  the  centre  of  the  civil  and  reli- 
gious life  of  the  people.  His  voice  spake  from  the  cloud 
over  the  mercy-seat  and  gave  orders  to  march  or  orders  to 
halt ;  orders  to  fight  or  orders  to  rest ;  orders  to  come  into 
His  presence  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  and  there  receive 
blessing,  or  else  receive  punishment  for  sin.     Two  priests. 


THE  KINGDOM  VISIBLE.  247 


Nadab  and  Abihu,  were  consumed  by  "fire  from  Jehovah" 
for  their  impiety.*  Again,  fire  from  Jehovah's  tabernacle 
consumed  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  the  earth  opened 
to  swallow  Korah  and  his  company  for  their  rebellion  against 
the  government.!  These  and  other  instances  show  that 
Jehovah  was  the  chief  executive  in  this  administration  of  his 
authority.  An  earthly  representative  of  Jehovah  as  the 
executive  was  not  chosen  in  the  period  contemplated  in  the 
Pentateuch.  The  Israelitish  kings,  beginning  with  Saul 
and  David,  were  all  types  of  the  messianic  king,  Jesus 
Christ,  who  came  in  the  fullness  of  times  to  be  the  chief 
ruler  in  the  kingdom  of  Jehovah. 

The  official  next  in  authority  to  Jehovah  Himself  was 
the  prophet.  This  term  describes  the  work  of  Moses  in 
establishing  the  theocracy.  God  spake  with  him  face  to 
face.  God's  law  was  given  through  him.  Moses  performed 
executive  duties  at  times,  but  only  as  the  representative  of 
Jehovah.  The  peculiar  relationship  between  Moses  and 
Jehovah,  and  also  between  Moses  and  the  people,  will  be 
discussed  in  a  later  part  of  this  volume. 

The  visible  machinery  of  the  divine  government  was 
chiefly  established  in  the  work  of  the  priesthood.  Here  we 
find  the  application  of  God's  power  to  the  minutest  matters 
in  the  Hebrews'  daily  life.  This  power  was  administered  by 
the  priests,  His  ministers  or  servants.  Their  acts  were 
authoritative  only  as  sanctioned  by  Jehovah  and  only  as 
performed  in  strict  compliance  with  the  regulations  imposed 
in  His  law.  In  addition  to  serving  Him  in  the  active  dis- 
charge of  official  duties,  the  priests  also  w^ere  representatives 
of  the  people  in  the  presence  of  Jehovah. 

The  law  of  the  priestly  administration  is  written  in  that 
part  of  the  Pentateuch  called  Leviticus.  The  book  was 
probably  not  thus  named  originally,  but  simply  formed  a 
part  of  the  law  of  the  theocracy.  Only  a  brief  discussion 
of  this  priestly  law  can  here  be  given.  It  will  be  sufficient 
to  indicate  its  general  character  and  its  organic  connection 
with  the  Book  of  Exodus.  ^  The  reasons  for  asserting  such  a 
connection  are  not  far  to  seek,  (1)  The  central  theme  of 
Leviticus  is  the  national  altar  and  its  ministers — that  altar 
which  was  established   at  Sinai  during  the  period  of  time 

*Lev.lO:2.    f  Numb.  16:  31,  35. 


248  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


embraced  in  the  history  recorded  in  Exodus.  (2)  Leviticus, 
therefore,  deals  with  the  establishment  of  Jehovah's  king- 
ship in  its  practical  administration  around  the  altar — that 
kingship  which  was  proclaimed  in  Exodus.  (3)  The  point 
of  time  contemplated  in  Leviticus  is  that  which  imme- 
diately follows  Jehovah's  entrance  into  the  tabernacle,  as 
given  in  the  closing  words  of  the  Book  of  Exodus.  No 
sooner  had  He  taken  up  His  abode  therein  than  "Jehovah 
called  unto  Moses  and  spake  unto  him  out  of  the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation."*  We  have,  then,  in  Leviticus,  a  con- 
tinuance of  the  history  already  considered.  In  the  Exodus 
Jehovah  spake  in  the  fire  in  the  land  of  Egypt  and  in  the 
thunder  on  Mt.  Sinai,  and  thence  gave  the  tables  of  stone 
and  the  book  of  the  covenant.  But  now,  at  the  foot  of  Sinai, 
from  the  tabernacle  there  erected,  He  speaks  to  Moses  and 
reveals  the  law  of  the  altar  and  the  sacrifices  whereby  the 
people  must  show  daily  reverence  for  their  king. 

The  National  Altar.  Leviticus  1-7.) 

The  tabernacle  was  divided  into  three  parts.  The  inner 
division,  or  holy  of  holies,  contained  the  ark  of  the  cove- 
nant. This  was  the  central  object  in  the  sanctuary,  for  it 
was  the  throne  of  the  invisible  King.  There  dwelt  Jehovah 
between  the  cherubim;  there  did  the  mercy-seat  cover  up 
the  law.  The  sacred  veil,  made  of  three  royal  colors,  shut 
off  this  central  shrine  from  the  holy  place,  and  then  just 
outside,  in  front  of  the  tabernacle,  was  the  court.  These 
three  divisions  of  the  sanctuary  marked  three  degrees  in 
the  approach  of  the  people  into  Jehovah's  presence.  In 
the  outer  court  was  placed  the  altar  of  burnt-off'erings,  oth- 
erwise called  the  brazen  altar,  and  in  the  holy  place  was  set 
the  altar  of  incense,  or  the  golden  altar,  and  on  the  one  side 
of  this  altar  the  table  of  shew-bread,  and  on  the  other  side 
the  golden  candlestick,  f 

To  the  brazen  altar,  in  the  outer  court,  came  the  people, 
bringing  animal  sacrifices,  and  these  were  off'ered  to  Jeho- 
vah in  whole  or  in  part  in  the*  fire  of  the  altar.  To  the 
golden  altar  in  the  next  court,  or  holy  place,  came  only  the 
priests,  representing  the  people,  and  there  they  off'ered  the 

*Lev.  1:  1.    t  Exod.  27:  40. 


THE  NATIONAL  ALTAR.  249 


holy  incense  unto  Jehovah.  Into  the  holy  of  holies  went 
the  high  priest  alone  and  only  once  during  the  year. 

The  form  of  the  tabernacle  bore  a  general  resemblance  to 
the  form  of  the  Egyptian  temple.  *'  The  pattern  "  of  the 
first,  however,  was  revealed  to  Moses  in  the  mount.  It  was 
not  copied  from  the  sanctuaries  of  the  sun-god.  Rameses 
II.  had  built  many  of  these  at  Zoan,  at  Memphis,  Heliopolis, 
Thebes,  and  one  was  hewn  from  the  cliff  at  Abou-Simbel,  in 
Nubia.  The  latter  contained  an  inner  chamber,  or  shrine, 
approached  through  three  other  pillared  chambers  or  halls. 
The  furniture  of  the  inner  chamber  consisted  of  an  altar 
and  images  of  four  Egyptian  gods,  one  of  these  gods  being 
Rameses  himself.*  Further,  we  know  that  these  figures  of 
the  gods  were  taken  from  the  shrine  on  festival  occasions 
and  borne  at  the  head  of  the  procession  through  the  streets. 
The  idea  of  the  divine  Holiness  was  absent  in  this  Egyptian 
ritual,  while  it  is  stamped  on  the  Hebrew  ceremonial  and 
on  the  very  arrangement  of  the  sanctuary.  The  ark  of  the 
presence  could  be  approached  only  once  a  year  by  the  high 
priest  with  the  blood  of  atonement.  The  Egyptian  altar 
stood  in  the  presence  of  the  images,  but  the  Mosaic  altars 
were  curtained  off  from  the  ark.  The  Egyptian  religion 
was  altogether  legal  and  ritualistic.  Nothing  was  there 
found  to  stir  up  the  love  and  obedience  of  the  heart.  On 
the  other  hand,  a  moral  and  spiritual  character  was  written 
upon  the  Hebrew  ceremonial.  The  arrangement  of  the 
altars  themselves  was  sufficient  to  teach  submissiveness  of 
spirit  in  the  offerings  upon  the  outer  altar  by  the  people, 
and  the  efficacy  of  intercessory  prayer  in  the  burning  of 
incense  upon  the  second  altar  by  the  priests.  In  the  sym- 
bolism of  the  entire  tabernacle,  the  Hebrew  had  before  him 
a  living  connection  between  his  own  soul  and  the  ceremonial 
of  the  sacrifice.  The  inward  and  spiritual  grace  was  always 
surely  called  for  by  the  outward  and  visible  sign.  Against 
the  merely  empty  form  in  sacrificial  worship,  the  whole 
tabernacle  and  its  laws  cried  out. 

While  the  Egyptian  temples  had  served  as  object-lessons 
to  keep  before  the  minds  of  the  Israelites  the  general  mean- 
ing of  divine  worship  through  the  use  of  altars  and  sym- 
bols, yet  the  spirit  of  the  Mosaic  ritual  was  something  entirely 

*  Brugsch,  p.  298. 


250  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


new,  except  as  it  was  only  the  completion  of  divine  revelations 
already  begun  in  the  time  of  the  patriarchs.  The  Mosaic 
system  of  worship  was  altogether  of  divine  origin.  The 
only  real  connection  between  it  and  the  Egyptian  system 
was  this,  that  the  latter  had  made  the  Hebrew  people  familiar 
with  a  national  system  of  sacrifice  by  a  national,  hereditary 
priesthood.  One  national  altar,  however,  was  established  at 
Sinai,  in  contrast  with  the  multitude  of  altars  in  the  land 
of  the  Pharaohs. 

In  the  character  of  the  offerings  brought  to  the  altar,  the 
Mosaic  code  introduced  a  new  principle.  The  sin-offerings 
required  by  Jehovah  created  a  revolution  in  the  old  system 
of  animal  sacrifices.  The  oblations  which  were  sacrificed 
on  the  altar  were  animal  and  vegetable.  The  animal  sacri- 
fices were  burnt-offerings,  peace-offerings  and  sin-offerings. 
The  vegetable  sacrifices,  or  incense  and  meat  and  drink 
offerings,  always  accompanied  the  first  two  of  the  above- 
named  animal  sacrifices. 

Five  animals  might  be  used  in  sacrifice,  the  ox,  the  sheep, 
the  goat,  the  dove  and  the  pigeon,  all  of  these  belonging  to 
the  class  of  clean  animals.*  Moreover,  each  animal  offered 
in  sacrifice  must  be  perfect,  without  spot  or  blemish,  with- 
out deformity  or  disease. f  These  conditions  of  acceptable 
sacrifice  came  down  to  Moses  from  Abraham,  for  in  the 
sacrifice  of  the  covenant  the  patriarch  of  the  Hebrew  race 
offered  "  an  heifer  of  three  years  old,  and  a  she-goat  of  three 
years  old,  and  a  ram  of  three  years  old,  and  a  turtle  dove 
and  a  young  pigeon. "+  When  we  remember  that  Noah 
sacrificed  burnt-offerings  after  the  flood;  that  Jacob  sacri- 
ficed peace-offerings  at  Mizpeh ;  that  other  patriarchs  "built 
an  altar  and  called  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah,"  and  that 
Jethro  offered  burnt-offerings  and  peace-offerings  when  he 
met  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness,  it  will  appear  certain 
that  the  sin-offering  was  the  one  new  and  distinct  sacrifice 
instituted  by  Jehovah  at  Sinai. 

The  burnt-offering  was  wholly  burnt  upon  the  altar. 
First  into  the  outer  court  was  the  animal  led  and  presented 
to  the  priest;  then  was  it  bound  fast  to  the  north  side  of  the 
brazen  altar.  The  man  who  presented  the  offering  then  laid 
his  hand  upon  the  head  of  the  animal  in  token  that  he  thus 

*  Lev.  11.    +  Lev.  22.    t  Gen.  15:9. 


THE  NA TIONA L  ALTAR.  251 


dedicated  himself  unto  Jehovah.  Then  was  the  animal 
slain,  and  all  his  parts  were  burnt  upon  the  altar  and  the 
blood  was  sprinkled  round  about  the  altar. 

The  peace-offering  was  presented  unto  Jehovah  in  the 
same  manner,  except  that  only  a  part  of  the  animal  was 
burned  upon  the  altar,  the  remainder  being  shared  between 
the  priest  and  him  who  offered  the  animal.  The  sacrificial 
meal  was  then  eaten,  in  token  of  communion  with  Jehovah. 

The  burnt-offering  was  the  great  symbol  of  self-sacrifice 
unto  Jehovah.  The  flesh  was  supposed  to  ascend  in  the  fire 
of  the  altar  up  towards  heaven,  signifying  the  surrender  of 
the  body,  soul  and  spirit  of  the  sacrificer  unto  his  God. 
Complete  submission  and  acknowledgment  of  dependence 
upon  Jehovah  was  thus  set  forth  as  the  key-note  of  the  en- 
tire religious  ritual.  In  the  peace-offering  there  was  the 
symbol  of  self-surrender  and  also  the  symbol  of  communion 
with  God.  These  two  great  rites  of  dedication  and  conse- 
cration were  used  by  Moses  in  the  formal  ratification  of  the 
covenant  at  Sinai.  They  were  incorporated  into  the  system 
of  sacrifices  there  ordained,  but  they  belonged  to  the  past  as 
well.  In  fact,  they  are  two  links  of  blood  that  bind  the  ad- 
ministrative ritual  of  Leviticus  to  the  preceding  history  of 
the  patriarchs. 

Egyptian  and  all  other  heathen  sacrifices  bore  a  general 
resemblance,  in  respect  to  the  method  of  presentation,  to  the 
peace-offerings  alone.  But  the  sacrificial  feasts  of  heathen 
priests  were  little  better  than  the  ceremonies  of  sorcerers 
against  evil  demons.  While  the  feast  of  the  peace-offering 
followed  the  spiritual  submission  unto  the  Supreme  Jehovah 
already  made  in  the  whole  burnt-offering. 

But  a  new  meaning  was  stamped  upon  the  ceremonial  of 
the  sacrifice  by  the  law  in  the  establishment  of  the  sin-offer- 
ing. No  doubt,  the  patriarchs  had  a  sense  of  their  own  sin- 
fulness in  their  approach  to  the  altar  of  Him  who  is  Holy. 
But  it  was  left  for  the  law  to  set  forth  sinfulness  and  its  pro- 
pitiation as  the  matter  of  chief  concern  between  man  and 
God.  And  Jehovah  spake  unto  Moses,  saying:  "Speak  unto 
the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  if  a  soul  shall  sin  through 
ignorance  against  any  of  the  commandments  of  Jehovah, 

let  him  bring  for  his  sin  which  he 

hath  sinned,  a  young  bullock,  without  blemish,  unto  Jehovah 


252  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


for  a  sin-ofFering."*  The  commandments  are  here  repre- 
sented as  ''holy,  and  just,  and  good,"t  even  as  Jehovah  is 
holy.  A  sin  against  any  one  of  his  statutes  is  a  sin  against 
Him,  and  unto  Jehovah  must  the  sin-offering  be  brought. 
The  burnt-offerings  and  peace-offerings  were  voluntary,  but 
this  sacrifice  was  commanded  in  every  case  of  the  violation  of 
the  law.  This  offering  marks  the  completion  of  the  national 
altar  as  the  centre  of  the  administrative  system.  The  sin- 
offering  is  meant  to  preserve  the  majesty  of  the  law.  It  is 
intended  to  symbolize  the  holiness  of  the  lawgiver;  it 
marks  the  necessity  of  the  law  itself,  and  likewise  marks  its 
purpose.  This  sin-offering,  and  with  it  the  entire  ceremo- 
nial of  the  altar,  points  forward  to  the  time  when  sin  shall  be 
removed  by  Jesus,  the  one  great  sacrifice,  who  is  likewise 
the  Priest  presenting  Himself  as  a  sin-offering. 

The  method  of  presenting  the  victim  in  the  sin-offering 
was  after  the  manner  of  the  other  offerings  except  in  the 
treatment  of  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice.  After  the  slaughter 
of  the  beast  by  the  man  who  had  committed  the  sin,  then 
came  the  priest  to  take  charge  of  the  offering.  The  sacrifice 
must  be  presented  by  a  mediator,  consecrated  to  this  partic- 
ular office.  The  mediator  took  the  blood  of  the  victim. 
This  blood  was  the  symbol  of  the  life  of  him  who  offered  it. 
The  violator  of  law  thus  offered  to  Jehovah  the  life  which 
had  been  forfeited  by  the  sin.  The  priest  smeared  some  of 
the  blood  upon  the  horns  of  the  altar.  In  minor  offences 
a  subordinate  priest  smeared  the  blood  on  the  brazen  altar. 
In  the  sin-offering  for  the  high  priest  and  for  the  nation,  the 
blood  was  placed  on  the  altar  of  incense,  and  likewise  sprin- 
kled seven  times  within  the  tabernacle.  For  certain  offen- 
ces a  trespass-offering  was  presented,  like  unto  a  sin-offer- 
ing.J  After  the  sprinkling  of  the  blood,  the  priest  placed 
in  the  fire  of  the  altar  the  fat  portions  of  the  victim,  and 
these  were  accepted  as  "a  sweet  savour  unto  Jehovah."  As 
concerning  the  sinner  and  his  sin,  it  was  declared  that  in 
this  manner  the  "  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for  him, 
and  it  shall  be  forgiven  him."§ 

The  sin-offering  was  placed  first  in  order  in  the  sacrificial 
service.  When  the  sinner  had  been  restored  to  his  position 
as  a  loyal  subject  by  the  atonement  of  the  sin-oflfering,  then 

♦Lev.  4:  1-3.    +  Rom.  7:12.    J  Lev.  7:7.    §  Lev.  4:31. 


THE  NATIONAL  PRIESTHOOD.  253 


must  he  dedicate  himself  unto  Jehovah  in  the  whole  burnt- 
offering  and  in  the  peace-offering. 

The  administrative  system  of  the  national  altar  touched 
the  spirit  of  the  worshipper  through  every  symbol  used. 
The  violator  of  the  sanctity  of  the  law  was  led  back  through 
a  graduated  ceremonial  into  communion  with  Jehovah. 
The  soul  and  the  body  of  the  believer  were  typified  in  the 
blood  and  the  flesh  of  the  victim.  Between  the  sinner  and 
his  God  stood  the  mediating  priest.  The  entire  system  was 
only  a  shadow  of  that  which  was  to  come  when  the  divine 
administration  should  be  centred  in  one  person.  In  Christ, 
the  Mediator  and  the  victim  are  combined  in  the  suffering 
and  triumphant  Son  of  God.  In  Him  we  have  "the  blood 
of  the  everlasting  covenant."* 

The  National  Priesthood. 

(Leviticus  8-10.) 

Through  Moses  were  given  Jehovah's  directions  concern- 
ing the  order  and  the  character  of  the  offerings.  Through 
Moses  Jehovah  now  inducted  the  priests  into  office. 

The  sanctuary,  commanded  at  the  time  of  the  giving  of 
the  law,  stood  complete.  The  divine  order  issued  at  Sinai 
concerning  the  dress  and  consecration  of  the  priesthood  was 
written  among  the  statutes  in  the  Book  of  Exodus. f  "And 
Jehovah  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Take  Aaron  and  his  sons 
with  him,  and  the  garments  and  the  anointing  oil,  and  a 
bullock  for  the  sin-offering,  and  two  rams  and  a  basket  of 
unleavened  bread; 

"And  gather  thou  all  the  assembly  together  towards  the 
entrance  of  the  tent  of  meeting."  + 

The  entire  body  of  the  Hebrew  people  was  brought  to  the 
door  of  the  tabernacle  to  witness  this  inauguration  of  the 
kingdom  visible.  They  looked  on  while  Moses  solemnly 
consecrated  Aaron  and  his  family  as  ministers  of  state. 
First  were  they  cleansed  with  water  in  sign  of  their  spirit- 
ual cleansing.  Then  did  Moses  invest  Aaron  with  the  offi- 
cial robes  of  God's  minister — the  coat,  the  girdle,  the  robe, 
the  ephod,  the  breast-plate,  the  mitre,  and,  last  of  all,  upon 
Aaron's  forehead,  he  bound  the  crown,  the  golden  band  in- 
scribed "  Holiness  to  Jehovah." 

*  Heb.  13 ;  20.    i  Exod.  28,  29,  40.    1  Lev.  8 :  1-3. 


254  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Then  took  Moses  the  holy  oil  and  with  it  anointed  the 
tabernacle  and  all  the  sacred  furniture,  the  ark  and  the  altars. 
Then  upon  Aaron's  head  he  poured  the  oil,  in  symbol  of  the 
fact  that  the  high-priest's  authority  and  power  thus  came 
from  Jehovah.  The  chief  minister  and  the  sanctuary  were 
now  formally  set  aside  and  consecrated  for  divine  use. 

After  this  the  sons  of  Aaron  were  clad  in  their  robes  of 
office,  and  then  followed  the  sacrifices  of  the  consecration. 
Moses  acted  the  part  of  priest  as  Jehovah's  representative. 
The  hands  of  Aaron  and  his  sons  were  laid  upon  the  victims 
as  they  were  brought.  The  blood  of  these  was  sprinkled  by 
Moses  upon  the  altar,  but  the  blood  of  the  last,  or  peace-of- 
fering, was  sprinkled  upon  the  ear,  thumb  and  toe  of  each 
minister  of  state.  This  ceremony  symbolized  the  complete 
service  to  be  rendered  b}^  the  priest  now  reconciled  and  con- 
secrated unto  Jehovah  in  these  sacrifices.  Each  day  for 
seven  days  were  these  ceremonies  repeated  until  the  seals  of 
office  were  thus  given  to  Aaron  and  his  sons. 

Even  yet  was  Aaron  under  the  direction  of  Moses.  At 
the  command  of  the  latter,  Aaron  offered  sacrifices  for  him- 
self and  for  the  people,  and  then  both  Moses  and  Aaron  en- 
tered the  tent  of  meeting,  and  when  they  came  forth  they 
blessed  all  the  people  who  stood  in  waiting.  "And  the  glory 
of  Jehovah  appeared  unto  all  the  people.  And  then  came 
a  fire  out  from  before  Jehovah  and  consumed  upon  the  altar 
the  burnt-offering  and  the  fat;  which,  when  all  the  people 
saw,  they  shouted  and  fell  on  their  faces."  *  The  inaugura- 
tion was  thus  made  complete  by  Jehovah  Himself.  His 
sanction  fell  upon  the  sanctuary  and  upon  the  priests  and 
upon  the  people.  His  administration  was  established  when 
the  "  fire  from  Jehovah "  came  to  consume  the  sacrifice. 
Further,  when  Nadab  and  Abihu,  in  an  unseemly  manner 
and  at  an  improper  time,  advanced  with  irreverent  spirit  to 
oflFer  incense  to  Jehovah,  that  same  "fire  from  Jehovah"  con- 
sumed them.  The  infinite  power  of  God  was  behind  all 
this  ceremonial.  This  sanctuary  contained  His  throne,  and 
these  priests  were  His  ministers  of  state,  and  the  fire  burn- 
ing upon  the  altar  might  be  made  to  burn  up  in  its  flame 
any  one  who  should  fail  to  reverence  the  symbols  of  God's 
visible  kingdom. 

•Lev.  8:  23,  24. 


ORDINANCES  CONCERNING  HOLINESS.  255 


Ordinances  Concerning  Holiness. 

{Leviticus  11-15;  17-22.) 

A  large  part  of  the  statutes  written  in  Leviticus  are  con- 
cerned with  the  practical  means  to  be  used  in  attaining  unto 
holiness  in  the  daily  life.  These  precepts  may  be  charac- 
terized in  general  as  the  application  of  Jehovah's  spiritual 
law  to  the  natural  world.  The  basis  of  this  practical  legis- 
lation is  found  in  the  purpose  which  Jehovah  has  already 
declared  concerning  the  entire  law,  that  He  will  make  of 
this  people  "an  holy  nation"  if  they  will  render  Him  obe- 
dience. 

"  I  am  Jehovah,  your  God,  which  have  separated  you  from 
other  people.  Ye  shall  therefore  put  difference  between 
clean  beasts  and  unclean,  and  between  unclean  fowls  and 
clean;  and  ye  shall  not  make  your  souls  abominable  by 
beast,  or  by  fowl,  or  by  any  manner  of  living  thing  that 
creepeth  on  the  ground,  which  I  have  separated  from  you  as 
unclean. 

"And  ye  shall  be  holy  unto  me;  for  I,  Jehovah,  am  holy, 
and  have  severed  you  from  other  people  that  ye  should  be 
mine." 

In  accordance  with  this  injunction,  Jehovah  spake  unto 
Moses  and  Aaron  and  specified  those  creatures  in  the  king- 
dom of  animal  life  whose  flesh  might  be  used  as  food.* 

(1)  Among  quadrupeds,  the  people  might  eat  only  the 
flesh  of  those  which  completely  divide  the  hoof  and  chew 
the  cud. 

(2)  Among  the  fishes,  only  those  which  have  both  scales 
and  fins  might  be  eaten. 

(3)  Among  the  birds,  those  that  live  upon  animal  food 
are  prohibited;  at  least,  nineteen  of  this  class  were  named  as 
unfit  for  use. 

(4)  Among  flying  insects,  only  those  that  possess  two 
long  legs  for  leaping,  like  the  grasshopper,  might  be  used 
as  food. 

(5)  All  creeping  things  were  to  be  an  abomination  as  con- 
cerning their  use  for  food.f 

It  is  clear  from  these  statutes  that  the  division  between 
clean  and  unclean  animals  had  reference  only  to  their  dead 
bodies.     Animal  life  of  all  kinds  was  made  sacred  by  the 

*  Lev.  20:  24-26.    f  Lev.  U. 


256  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


law.  All  living  things  were  clean.  On  the  other  hand,  all 
bodies  of  men,  or  beasts  that  had  died  of  themselves,  were 
unclean  and  polluting  to  the  touch.  These  laws  were  based 
upon  this  great  distinction,  that  life  is  a  holy  thing  while 
death  is  the  symbol  of  unholiness  and  pollution. 

In  order  to  provide  the  Hebrews  with  animal  food,  Jeho- 
vah ordained  that  certain  creatures  might  be  slain  and  their 
bodies  prepared  according  to  a  fixed  method.  This  method 
was  in  reality  a  religious  ceremonial.  The  animals  thus 
treated  were  regarded  as  made  free  from  the  taint  of  death. 
Before  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  must  the  animal  be  brought 
and  there  slain.  The  blood,  wherein  was  the  "  life  of  the 
flesh,"  was  all  drawn  off  and  sprinkled  on  the  brazen  altar 
by  the  priest.  The  blood  was  not  to  be  eaten.  Each  ani- 
mal slain  for  food  became  in  this  manner  a  kind  of  peace- 
offering  unto  Jehovah.*  The  daily  life  of  His  people  was 
brought  into  vital  connection  with  His  divine  power.  It  is 
a  fact  that  the  animals  prescribed  for  food  were  those  that 
feed  on  vegetable  life,  and  are  hence  conducive  to  health  in 
men.  But  the  spiritual  law  is  the  primary  reason  why  these 
animals  were  chosen,  and  the  sanitary  law  is  only  secondary 
in  the  purpose  of  Jehovah.  His  statutes  were  imposed  upon 
Israel  for  the  furtherance  of  their  moral  and  spiritual  life, 
and  it  was  afterwards  found  to  be  a  fact  that  these  same  stat- 
utes promote  the  physical  well-being. 

For  the  same  reason,  Jehovah  ordained  certain  purifica- 
tions for  the  removal  of  particular  cases  of  taint  and  defile- 
ment connected  with  the  daily  life  of  His  people.  These 
cases  were  (1)  defilement  from  secretions;  (2)  defilement 
from  leprosy,  and  (3)  defilement  from  a  corpse. f  The  re- 
moval of  impurity  and  pollution  caused  in  any  one  of  these 
three  ways  was  to  be  the  work  of  Jehovah  Himself,  through 
the  means  of  a  particular  religious  ceremonial.  Until  its 
removal,  this  uncleanness  excluded  the  individual  from  the 
services  of  the  sanctuary,  and,  in  the  case  of  leprosy,  cut 
him  off  from  the  camp.  The  presence  of  God  as  giving  life 
and  absence  from  Him  as  the  symbol  of  death  was  thus 
signified  in  these  ceremonials.  Furthermore,  the  sinful 
character  of  men  in  their  natural  condition  was  set  forth. 
Herein  did  the  Mosaic  law  of  uncleanness  among  animals 

*  Lev.  17.    +  Lev.  1\,  12-15 ;  Numb.  19. 


THE  HOL  Y  FESTIVALS.  257 


and  men  pass  beyond  the  meaning  of  similar  laws  in  vogue 
■among  the  Egyptians  and  other  heathen.  Those  laws  were 
based  solely  on  sanitary  reasons,  but  the  laws  of  Jehovah 
carried  always  a  deep  spiritual  lesson. 

In  Leviticus  18-22,  we  find  certain  laws  for  the  regu- 
lation of  the  private  life  of  the  individual  members  of  the 
nation  and  the  priests.  "  Ye  shall  be  holy,  for  I,  Jehovah 
your  God,  am  holy."  *  Thus  spake  Jehovah  to  priest  and 
people  alike  concerning  marriage  and  the  offering  of  sacri- 
fices and  concerning  other  duties  of  the  private  life.  His 
divine  superintendence  extended  even  into  the  secret  places 
of  each  Hebrew's  daily  career,  and.  in  all  things  were  they 
commanded  to  be  holy. 

The  Holy  Festivals. 

These  statutes  reach  a  climax  in  the  ordinances  concern- 
ing the  public  worship  of  Jehovah  in  the  stated  feasts. f 
The  book  closes  with  strict  injunctions  to  abstain  from  prac- 
tical idolatry,  to  be  careful  in  the  performance  of  all  vows, 
and,  above  all,  to  observe  the  public  worship  of  God  in  all 
regularity  after  the  order  prescribed  in  "the  appointed 
times."  I 

For  the  sake  of  clearness,  it  may  be  well  just  here  to 
mention  all  the  specified  times  of  public  worship  according 
to  the  ritual  of  the  altar.  First  in  order  among  all  was 
"the  continual  burnt  off'ering,"  or  the  regular  morning  and 
evening  sacrifice,  whose  upward-ascending  smoke  was  like 
the  continual  waving  of  Jehovah's  royal  banner  over  His 
obedient  people.  Next  in  order  was  the  weekly  Sabbath, 
named  here  first  among  the  feasts  as  "an  holy  convocation. "§ 
Already  had  the  Sabbath  been  declared  the  sign  of  the 
covenant,  as  a  rest-day  to  Jehovah. ||  It  was  to  be  marked 
by  a  doubling  of  the  common  daily  sacrifices,  as  a  symbol 
of  the  sanctification  of  the  daily  life  of  the  people.  It  was 
now  ordained  in  Leviticus  as  the  centre  of  the  sabbatical 
system,  made  of  the  sabbatical  year  and  the  year  of  jubi- 
lee.^H  The  covenant  was  brought  thus  into  practical  con- 
nection with  Israel's  life  in  the  rest  allotted  to  the  soil  itself 
and  in  the  liberty  granted  unto  all  in  bondage.     A  holy  life 

*Lev.l9;  2;  21-6.    +Lev.2a:27.    lLev.26;27.    §Lev.23:3.     ii  Exod.  20:  10.    IT  Lev.  25. 

17 


258  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


and  a  free  life  was  to  be  that  of  God's  people,  sanctified 
unto  Him  in  all  these  feasts  and  ceremonials. 

The  third  feast  was  that  of  the  passover  or  of  unleavened 
bread.  This  feast  was  ordained  in  Egypt  at  the  beginning 
of  the  exodus  and  is  here  named  as  a  part  of  the  great  system 
of  covenant  festivals  concerning  the  holiness  of  the  nation. 
Passover  was  the  name  given  to  the  first  day  and  unleavened 
bread  to  the  seven  continuous  days  of  feasting.  This  feast 
was  celebrated  at  the  beginning  of  the  wheat  harvest,  and 
the  sheaf  of  grain  first  ripe  was  then  offered  as  a  wave-of- 
fering to  Jehovah.* 

After  this  came  the  "  feast  of  harvest."  f  It  was  celebrated 
at  the  end  of  harvest,  in  acknowledgment  of  God's  bounty 
shown  in  the  ripened  grain.  This  festival  was  also  called 
the  "  feast  of  weeks,"  since  it  occurred  seven  weeks  after  the 
passover;  t  likewise  was  it  called  "the  day  of  the  first- 
fruits,"  since  an  offering  was  then  made  of  bread  baked 
from  the  first  fruits  of  the  harvest. §  The  most  familiar 
name  of  this  feast  is  the  Greek  designation,  "Pentecost" 
(fifty),  assigned  to  it  because  of  the  period  of  fifty  days  that 
separated  it  from  the  passover  feast.  In  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  Pentecost  marks  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  the  ingathering  of  the  first-fruits  in  Christ's  work  of  re- 
demption. || 

Next  in  order  we  name  two  feasts,  the  festival  of  the  new 
moon  and  the  feast  of  trumpets.  The  first-named  was  cele- 
brated at  the  beginning  of  each  month,  and  might  have 
been  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  daily  and  weekly 
sacrifices.^  The  feast  of  the  trumpets  marked  the  new 
year's  day  of  the  civil  year.  It  was  "  an  holy  convocation  " 
on  the  first  day  of  the  seventh  month  of  each  year.**  The 
tenth  day  of  this  seventh  month  saw  the  celebration  of  the 
great  Day  of  Atonement.  This  festival  had  peculiar  signifi- 
cance, and  will  require  special  discussion. 

The  last  of  the  great  festivals  of  the  year  was  the  feast  of 
ingathering  ft  or  the  feast  of  tabernacles.  J  +  This  was  the 
celebration  of  the  harvest-home  at  the  close  of  the  fruit- 
bearing  season.  It  was  the  last  of  the  three  great  festivals 
— Passover,    Pentecost   and  Tabernacles — at   which    every 

♦Lev.  23.     +Exod.  23:  16.     t  Exod.   Si:   22.     §Lev.  23:  17:  Numb.  28:  26.     ||  Green's 
Hebrew  Feasts.  243.    IT  Numb.  28 :  11.    **  Lev.  23 :  23.    ++  Exod.  23 :  16.    It  Lev.  23 :  34. 


THE  HOLY  FESTIVALS.  259 


male  Israelite  was  to  present  himself  before  Jehovah  at  the 
sanctuary.  In  tents  made  of  green  boughs  the  Hebrews  were 
to  sojourn  for  seven  days  as  a  memorial  of  the  life  in  the 
wilderness — as  a  memorial  of  that  period  of  transition  from 
the  nomadic  life  to  the  agricultural  life,  wherein  they  should 
be  made  glad  by  gathering  in  corn  and  wine.  *  An  eighth 
day  was  added  to  the  seven  booth-dwelling  days,  and  in  New 
Testament  times  this  was  known  as  the  great  day  of  the 
feast."  t  All  the  joys  and  hopes  of  the  year  were  mingled 
together  in  this  culminating  of  the  calendar  of  festivals. 
Thus,  in  these  sacred  feasts,  was  the  entire  daily  life  of  the 
Hebrew  consecrated  to  Jehovah.  Every  season  of  joy,  every 
occasion  of  temporal  prosperity,  every  period  of  patriotic 
fervor — all  of  these  were  holy  times  of  praise  and  thanks- 
giving before  the  sanctuary  of  Jehovah.  Church  and  state 
were  completely  joined  together  because  the  secular  and  reli- 
gious life  of  the  Hebrew  were  one  and  the  same,  and  in  all 
things  Jehovah  was  the  supreme  king. 

These  feasts  are  mentioned  in  four  diffrent  places  in  the 
Pentateuch.  In  the  book  of  the  covenant,  Exodus  23,  and 
its  reproduction  in  Exodus  34,  they  are  briefly  set  forth  as 
part  of  the  terms  of  the  great  contract  between  Jehovah  and 
His  people.  In  Leviticus  23,  they  are  mentioned  chiefly  as 
days  of  holy  convocation  in  connection  with  Jehovah's  ad- 
ministration of  the  covenant.  As  given  from  this  point  of 
view  of  public  worship,  certain  particulars  in  the  method  of 
observance  are  added.  Numbers  28  and  29,  detail  the  more 
elaborate  ordinances  connected  with  these  feasts,  as  they 
were  commanded  b}^  Jehovah  just  before  the  entrance  into 
Canaan.  When  Joshua  had  been  chosen  as  the  successor  of 
Moses,  then  thx'ough  the  latter  was  this  more  complete  pub- 
lic ritual  set  forth  before  the  people. t  Deuteronomy  16, 
contains  the  farewell  injunction  of  Moses  unto  Israel,  when 
the  generation  that  received  the  law  at  Sinai  was  now  dead. 
The  new  generation  knew  the  three  forms  of  the  festival 
statutes  just  mentioned,  and  Moses  simply  reiterated  the 
commandments  concerning  these  great  feasts,  dwelling  upon 
certain  particulars  suggested  by  the  prospective  occupancy 
of  Canaan.  These  four  forms  of  the  festival  statutes  simply 
present  four  different  points  of  view  from  which  they  are 

*  Deut.  16 :  13.    f  John  7 :  37.    t  Numb.  27 :  18-23. 


260  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


enjoined.  Certain  critics  claim  that  these  four  aspects  are 
four  successive  stages  in  a  long  period  of  development;  that 
they  are  different  laws  enacted  at  different  times  upon  this 
subject  of  public  worship.  This  claim  is  advanced  more 
particularly  in  regard  to  the  feasts  of  the  Passover  and  Ta- 
bernacles.* This  hypothesis  is  without  foundation  because 
of  two  considerations:  (1.)  The  central  point  in  each  of  the 
four  forms  of  the  festival  statutes  is  the  same  injunction  of 
a  national  worship  of  Jehovah  around  the  one  national  al- 
tar in  the  sanctuary  established  at  Sinai.  (2.)  The  pur- 
pose of  this  worship  is  always  the  same,  "the  holiness  of  the 
people."  Their  daily  life  must  be  consecrated  to  Jehovah 
in  furtherance  of  his  great  plan  announced  at  Sinai,  to  make 
them  "  an  holy  nation."  There  is  absolutely  no  develop- 
ment whatever  in  the  essential  method  of  celebrating  the 
feasts,  nor  in  the  ultimate  purpose  of  those  feasts  concerning 
the  religious  character  of  the  people.  The  minor  injunc- 
tions concerning  details  of  their  celebration  are  those  that 
naturally  fall  in  with  the  change  of  circumstances. f 

The  Blood  of  the  Atonement. 

[Leviticus  16.} 

The  climax  of  symbolism  used  in  the  administration  of 
Jehovah's  visible  kingdom  M^as  reached  in  the  ceremonial 
of  the  day  of  atonement.  The  sin-offering  was  the  specific 
addition  to  the  national  altar  made  by  the  Sinaitic  code,  and 
the  day  of  atonement  concentrated  into  its  one  day  of  wor- 
ship the  meaning  of  all  the  sin-offerings  of  the  year.  In 
presence  of  the  symbols  used  on  this  day  the  Hebrew  was 
made  to  see  that  Jehovah's  government  exhausted  not  its 
strength  in  the  enactment  of  a  few  legal  and  moral  precepts, 
but  that  His  administration  dealt  directly  with  his  individual 
life;  with  his  body  and  with  his  soul.  This  foundation  truth 
was  set  forth  in  the  character  of  the  chief  element  of  the 
ritual.     That  element  was  blood. 

The  purpose  of  the  ceremonial  was  "to  make  an  atone- 
ment for  the  children  of  Israel  for  all  their  sins  (and  unclean- 
ness)  once  a  year.";J:  Like  all  sin-offerings,  this  great 
atonement  was  the  concession  of  the  mercy  of  Jehovah  unto 

*Kuenen:   "Religion  of  Israel."     Wellhausen:   "  Geschichte  Israels."      +Green's 
Hebrew  Feasts,  p.  S2.    I  Lev.  16 :  16,  34. 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ATONEMENT.  261 


the  -weakness  of  His  people.  They  had  entered  into  cove- 
nant relationship  with  him,  swearing  a  solemn  oath  that 
they  would  keep  His  law.  But  weakness  would  lead  many 
to  violate  that  oath  and  transgress  the  law.  Thus  would 
the  covenant  be  broken  between  those  individuals  and  Jeho- 
vah, How  could  it  be  reestablished  ?  How  could  the 
violated  law  be  vindicated?  How  could  the  law-breakers  be 
restored  to  fellowship  in  the  kingdom?  How  could  he  be 
made  at  one  with  God?  Only  by  means  of  the  life-blood  of 
the  animal-sacrifice.  Jehovah  ordained  that  the  penitent 
transgressor  might  bring  the  life  of  the  animal  as  a  substi- 
tute for  his  own  forfeited  life.  This  statute  was  based  upon 
the  principle  announced  that  the  soul  of  the  animal,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  the  body  of  the  animal,  is  in  the  animal 
blood.  "The  soul  of  the  ilesh  is  in  the  blood;  and  I  have 
ordained  it  for  you  upon  the  altar,  to  make  atonement  for 
your  souls;  for  the  blood  it  is  which  makes  at-one-ment  by 
means  of  the  soul."* 

Four  different  methods  marked  the  treatment  of  the  blood 
used  in  the  sacrifices.  In  making  the  burnt-offerings,  the 
peace-offerings,  and  the  trespass-offerings  the  priests  were 
commanded  to  "bring  the  blood  and  sprinkle  the  blood 
round  about  upon  the  altar./'  There  was  a  certain  degree 
of  the  idea  of  atonement  in  these  offerings.  But  in  the 
sacrifice  of  the  sin-offering  there  were  three  distinct  modes 
of  treating  the  blood — (1)  the  priest  with  his  finger  put 
some  of  the  blood  upon  the  horns  of  the  two  altars  ;  (2)  with 
his  finger  sprinkled  some  of  it  before  the  vail,  (3)  and 
poured  out  the  remainder  at  the  base  of  the  altar  of  burnt- 
offering.  The  day  of  atonement  was  signalized  by  the  same 
method  of  distributing  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice;  but  it  was 
sprinkled  upon  a  part  of  the  tabernacle  furniture  that  was 
unapproachable  except  upon  this  one  day  of  the  year.  The 
mercy-seat  within  the  holy  of  holies  was  the  central  object 
in  the  ritual  of  this  holy  day.  It  was  regarded,  it  would 
seem,  as  the  most  sacred  of  Jehovah's  altars  for  this  crown- 
ing act  in  the  penitential  service  of  the  Hebrews'  religious 
life.  The  parts  of  this  ritual  may  be  briefly  mentioned. 
(1)  The  pkce  of  offering  was  in  the  very  presence  of  Jeho- 
vah Himself.     The  high  priest  on  this   day  made  his  one 


*  Lev.  17 :  n. 


262  THE  ORIGIN  OF  TEE  PENTATEUCH. 


yearly  approach  "into  the  holy  place  within  the  vail  before 
the  mercy-seat  which  is  upon  the  ark."*  The  holy  of  holies, 
the  divine  king's  presence-chamber  was  this.  In  His  own 
holy  personality  did  He  there  abide  as  the  ruler  of  His  peo- 
ple. This  day  marked  His  sovereignty  as  the  forgiver  of 
sin.  "I  will  appear  in  the  cloud  upon  the  mercy-seat. "f 
Into  such  intimate  contact  with  the  life  of  His  people  did 
Jehovah  here  bring  Himself  that  if  the  high  priest  should 
venture  to  come  into  this  throne-room  on  any  other  day  of 
the  year  the  priest  would  die.f  But  in  the  sacrifices  of 
at-one-ment  came  the  priest  to  sprinkle  the  blood  seven 
times  upon  the  mercy-seat  on  its  east  side,  and  then  seven 
times  upon  the  floor  in  front  of  it.f  Thus  into  living  con- 
tact with  Jehovah  Himself  was  brought  the  penitent  soul  of 
every  Hebrew.  The  life  blood  of  the  animal  without  blemish 
was  placed  upon  Jehovah's  throne  in  place  of  the  life  of  the 
transgressor  of  the  law,  and  from  that  mercy-seat  passed 
forth  the  divine  power  to  touch  and  heal  the  heart  of  the 
repenting  sinner. 

(2)  The  offerer  of  the  atonement  sacrifice  was  the  high 
priest  alone.  First  of  all,  he  was  commanded  to  wash  with 
water  his  entire  body,  not  merely  his  hands  and  feet  as  in 
ordinary  sacrifices.  Then  was  he  arrayed  in  "  holy  gar- 
ments" of  pure,  "  holy  linen."  Further  than  this  must  he 
offer  a  bullock  as  a  sin-offering,  ''  an  atonement  for  himself 
and  for  his  house  (verse  6).  This  official  was  of  divine  ap- 
pointment and  had  received  the  oil  of  anointment,  but  for  his 
own  sins  must  he  make  atonement  ere  he  could  stand  before 
the  mercy  seat  as  the  mediator  between  Jehovah  and  His  peo- 
ple. He  must  "■  offer  up  sacrifice,  first  for  his  own  sins  and 
then  for  the  people's."  +  In  very  truth,  at  Sinai  in  this  begin- 
ning of  Hebrew  national  life,  we  find  established  as  media- 
tor Aaron,  a  type  of  the  great  high  priest  who  is  ''holy, 
harmless,  undefiled,  separate  from  sinners, "§  who  now  in 
these  last  days  of  revelation  has,  once  for  all,  "  entered  into 
that  within  the  vail."  Three  times  did  the  high  priest  enter 
within  the  vail  in  completing  the  sacrifice.  First  he  entered 
with  a  censer  full  of  burning  coals  from  the  brazen  altar, 
and  therewith  caused  a  cloud  of  incense  to  cover  the  mercy- 
seat  as  avail  between  himself  and  Jehovah  (verses  12,  13). 

*  Lev.  16:  2.    +  Lev.  16:  14,15.    t  Hebrews  7:  27.    gHeb.  7:  26;  6:  19.20. 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ATONEMENT.  263 


A  second  time  he  entered  bearing  the  blood  of  the  priest's 
sin-offering.  Then  a  third  time  did  he  enter  with  the  blood 
of  the  goat  that  represented  the  whole  nation.  In  like  man- 
ner was  this  sin-offering  for  the  people  sprinkled  upon  the 
mercy-seat,  and  also  upon  the  golden  altar  and  upon  the 
brazen  altar  (verses  15-19).  The  sacrificial  blood  hallowed 
anew  these  altars  as  meeting-places  between  God  and  man 
at  the  same  time  that  the  blood  was  the  medium  of  recon- 
ciliation. After  these  ceremonies,  the  priest  sent  away  the 
second  goat  to  Azazel,  and  thereupon  put  off  his  linen  garb, 
bathed  himself  and  resumed  his  golden  raiment.  It  was 
only  left  that  he  should  offer  the  closing  burnt-offerings,  with 
the  fat  of  the  two  sin-offerings.  His  mediatorial  work  for 
that  day  was  completed. 

(3)  The  efficacy  of  the  atonement  was  complete.  This 
was  symbolized  in  a  striking  manner  by  presenting  tivo  goats 
as  a  sin-offering  for  the  people.  One  of  these  goats  was  slain 
and  the  blood  was  borne  within  the  holy  of  holies  to  atone 
for  the  sins  of  the  nation — as  already  explained.  Thus  was 
the  nation  reestablished  in  the  covenant.  But  what  had  be- 
come of  the  forgiven  sins  ?  Did  their  consequences  still  re- 
main in  force  within  the  hearts  of  the  people  ?  Nay,  not 
thus  did  Jehovah  administer  His  forgiving  power.  The  sins 
could  be  removed  by  Jehovah,  and  He  taught  this  very  truth 
that  the  reconciliation  wrought  through  the  blood  of  the  sac- 
rifice was  so  complete  that  the  sins  were  borne  away.  The 
two  goats  represented  the  two  essential  parts  in  the  atone- 
ment— the  making  of  peace  with  Jehovah  and  His  complete 
removal  of  the  effects  of  all  transgression.  This  second  part 
was  symbolized  in  the  goat  for  Azazel.  He  symbolized  the 
act  of  a  living  being  after  death;  since  the  two  goats  were 
reckoned  as  one  offering,  the  one  was  slain  and  the  other 
was  sent  away.  For,  after  the  blood  of  the  first  goat,  sprin- 
kled upon  the  mercy-seat  and  altars,  had  brought  the  offend- 
ing nation  within  the  pale  of  the  covenant  again,  then  stood 
Aaron  over  the  live  goat  with  his  hands  upon  its  head,  and 
there  did  he  ''confess  over  him  all  the  iniquities  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  and  all  their  transgressions  in  all  their  sins,  put- 
ting them  upon  the  head  of  the  goat  "  (verse  21).  Thus  was 
it  symbolized  that  as  the  nation  was  being  restored  to  fellow- 
ship in  the  kingdom  by  the  blood  of  the  slain  goat,  their 
sins  were  at  the  same  time  being  left  behind  upon  the  living 


264  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


goat.  Thus  did  the  second  goat  simply  carry  on  to  com- 
pleteness that  which  was  begun  by  the  blood  of  the  first,  for 
the  priest  now  sent  the  living  goat  burdened  with  these  sins 
outpoured  in  confession,  unto  Azazel  the  evil  one.  "By  the 
hand  of  a  fit  man  into  the  wilderness"  (verse  21)  was  the 
sin-bearer  led  away.  The  divine  ordinance  concerning  this 
second  animal  was  this,  "  The  goat  shall  bear  upon  him  all 
their  iniquities  unto  a  land  not  inhabited  "  (verse  22).  A  life 
had  been  surrendered  to  Jehovah's  altar  as  an  offering  for 
the  transgressions  of  the  nation  and  yet  a  living  being  sur- 
vived to  carry  away  all  sin  and  uncleanness.*  In  what  won- 
derful completeness  do  we  here  find  typified  the  spiritual 
reconciliation  of  the  sinner  with  the  total  removal  of  all  his 
sins.  Further  than  this,  in  this  ceremonial  do  we  find  a 
typical  forecast  of  the  character  and  work  of  our  high  priest 
who  came  to  offer  Himself;  who,  after  His  atoning  sacrifice 
upon  the  altar  of  the  cross,  still  survived  to  complete  the 
work  of  redemption  in  removing  our  transgressions.  This 
double  sin-offering  pointed  unto  the  Son  of  God,  ''  who  was 
delivered  for  our  offences  and  was  raised  again  for  our  justi- 
fication." 

The  supreme  import  of  the  national  administration  was 
concentrated  in  this  day,  which  the  Hebrews  afterwards 
called  the  great  day.  That  import  was  essentially  spiritual 
and  not  legal.  It  may  be  well  to  remember  just  here,  what 
has  already  been  stated,  that  it  is  this  spirituality  of  the  law, 
and  also  the  spirituality  of  the  method  of  administering  the 
law  that  separated  .Jehovah's  government  from  that  of  Egypt, 
and  all  other  heathen  kingdoms. 

Again,  it  is  very  clear  that  this  same  element  of  spiritu- 
ality belonged  to  the  day  of  atonement  at  its  first  estab- 
lishment at  Sinai.  This  day,  in  fact,  as  representing  the 
most  supremely  solemn  moment  in  Jehovah's  administra- 
tion, stood  on  the  same  spiritual  plane  with  the  day  of  the 
covenant,  as  representing  Jehovah's  inauguration  as  King. 
In  that  first  great  step  in  the  revelation  of  this  law,  Jeho- 
vah spake  in  thunder  from  the  summit  of  Sinai  while  the 
people,  already  sanctified  by  a  three-days'  ceremony,  stood 
in  awe  at  the  foot  of  the  mount  and  dared  not  approach 
because  of  the  holiness  of  Jehovah's  mountain  throne.     In 

*  Speaker's  Com.  in  loco. 


TEE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ATONEMENT.  265 


this  second  step,  wherein  Jehovah  spake  from  the  mercy- 
seat  in  the  sanctuary,  there  were  just  the  same  indications 
concerning  Jehovah's  holiness  and  the  sinfulness  of  His 
people.  There  could  have  been  no  long  period  of  develop- 
ment between  these  two  events,  for  the  simple  reason  that 
they  represented  exactly  the  same  truths  concerning  God  and 
man  from  two  different  points  of  view.  There  is  no  ad- 
vance in  meaning  to  be  found  in  the  day  of  atonement  be- 
yond the  meaning  of  the  covenant  spoken  of  in  the  Book  of 
Exodus.  Now,  since  the  highest  spiritual  teaching  in  Levi- 
ticus is  found  in  the  ritual  of  this  day,  it  follows  that  all 
reason  for  supposing  a  course  of  development  in  the  pil- 
grimage feasts  is  thus  precluded.  The  spirit  of  these  feasts 
was  one  of  rejoicing  over  Jehovah's  mercies  and  bounties. 
But  the  atonement  sacrifices  were  presupposed  in  these 
feasts;  the  rejoicing  was  made  by  those  whose  sins  had  been 
forgiven  and  borne  away,  and  thereafter  had  come  the  tem- 
poral blessings  of  the  year  as  the  outward  sign  of  spiritual 
restoration.  This  restoration  in  the  atonement  lay  at  the 
foundation  of  all  the  Hebrew's  joy  and  hope.  The  feasts  of 
rejoicing  could  never  advance  beyond  this  in  spiritual 
import;  that  import  they  could  possess  and  did  possess  when 
the  day  of  atonement  first  marked  the  foundation  of  Jeho- 
vah's administration  upon  His  love  and  mercy.  It  is  there- 
fore idle  to  suppose  an}^  development  in  the  form  of  some 
part  of  this  administration,  when  the  supreme  and  final  im- 
port of  Jehovah's  system  of  government  was  declared  at  the 
first  in  the  establishment  of  the  covenant  at  Sinai. 

Further  than  this,  it  is  now  clear  that  this  spiritual  im- 
port of  Jehovah's  administration  was  summed  up  in  its  mean- 
ing as  a  prophecy  of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  God,  the 
chief  administrator  in  the  kingdom.  Christ's  priesthood, 
first  of  all,  was  shadowed  forth  in  this  great  system  of  divine 
government;  but  beyond  this  there  appeared  a  further  indi- 
cation of  the  time  when  He  should  assume  the  chief  execu- 
tive functions  in  the  Father's  realm;  when  He  should  become 
King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords.  For  Jesus  Christ  came, 
and  "  after  He  had  offered  one  sacrifice  for  sins  forever,  sat 
down  on  the  right  hand  of  God;  from  henceforth  expecting 
till  His  enemies  be  made  His  footstool.  For  by  one  offering 
He  hath  perfected  forever  them  that  are  sanctified."  * 

*  Hebrews  10 :  12-14. 


266  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  National  Organization. 

{Book  of  Numbers.) 
The  National  Assembly. 

THE  Sinaitic  covenant  established  a  government  monarchi- 
cal in  form — for  Jehovah  was  absolute  sovereign.  But  in 
spirit  this  government  was  partly  a  democracy — for  the  cove- 
nant itself  was  ratified  by  the  general  assembly  of  the  na- 
tion. .Jehovah's  personal  rule  as  king  over  this  unified 
commonwealth  formed  the  theocracy.  Herein  was  the 
great  difi"erence  between  the  divine  law  and  administration 
and  that  of  Egypt.  This  covenant  was  the  first  great  enact- 
ment in  the  history  of  the  human  race  whereby  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  the  people  as  a  body-politic  were  made  the 
corner-stone  of  a  form  of  government.  The  recognition  of 
the  national  assembly  was  the  crowning  act  in  God's  mercy 
shown  at  Sinai. 

The  foundation  principle  of  the  organization  of  the  peo- 
ple was  the  recognition  of  this  assembly.  In  the  promise  to 
Abraham,  "  a  great  nation  "  was  set  down  in  the  terms  of 
the  contract.  "My  people"  was  the  constant  refrain  in  Je- 
hovah's messages  to  Pharaoh  concerning  the  tribes  of  Israel. 
"  I  will  take  you  to  me  for  a  people,  and  I  will  be  to  you  a 
God,"  was  the  encouraging  promise  uttered  just  as  the  con- 
flict with  Pharoah  began.  "  Ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom 
of  priests  and  an  holy  nation,"  was  the  voice  of  love  that 
spake  at  Sinai  after  the  deliverance  from  Egypt.  The  first 
of  all  the  great  institutions  established  was  this  of  the  na- 
tional community.  Jehovah  stamped  the  people  with  the 
dignity  of  statehood,  and  then  entered  into  covenant  rela- 
tionship with  this  commonwealth.  As  the  covenant  under- 
lay the  law,  so  was  the  assembly  prior  to  the  covenant. 

In  this  national  assembly  there  was  the  absolute  equality 
of  all  before  Jehovah  in  the  matter  of  worship, -and  there 
was   absolute  justice   for  all  in  the  administration  of  law. 


THE  NA  TIONA  L  A  SSEMBL  Y.  267 


The  absolute  equality  of  all  was  recognized  in  the  covenant 
oath.  The  mass  of  the  people  as  such  entered  into  this  ob- 
ligation. The  oath  was  moreover  an  act  of  worship  in  which 
each  individual  vowed  allegiance  for  himself  unto  God. 
The  priestly  order  was  not  yet  established.  No  castes  were 
recognized  in  the  covenant.  The  caste-system  of  Egypt  was 
disowned.  Each  man  was  to  be  made  holy  on  his  own  ac- 
count. Each  man  was  hereafter  to  become  a  priest  unto 
God  for  himself,  in  the  ripeness  of  future  time  when  the 
shadows  of  Sinai  should  have  become  the  realities  of  Calvary.* 
What  was  the  relation  of  the  priesthood  to  this  assembly  ? 
They  were  the  representatives  of  the  people.  That  is  to  say, 
we  find  in  the  theocracy  elements  of  three  different  kinds  of 
government,  monarchy,  democracy,  and  the  representative 
system.  Jehovah  was  king  over  the  nation;  the  nation  in 
mass-meeting  had  a  certain  authority  accorded  to  it;  the 
practical  administration  of  Jehovah's  supreme  authority  and 
of  the  assembly's  limited  authority  was  carried  out  through 
representatives. 

In  the  national  administration,  thus  far  considered  from 
the  point  of  view  of  Jehovah's  absolute  sovereignty,  we  have 
found  one  system  of  representation.  The  prophet  was  Jeho- 
vah's representative  as  lawgiver,  and  the  assembly's  repre- 
sentative in  the  reception  of  the  law,  and  that  prophet  was 
Moses.  The  king,  foretold  in  Deuteronomy,  was  to  be  Jeho- 
vah's representative  in  the  executive  department;  but  this 
same  king  was  to  be  elected  b}'  the  assembly,  also,  as  their  rep- 
resentative. The  priesthood  was  based  upon  this  same  sys- 
tem of  representation  and  there  were  three  gradations;  for 
the  race  of  Levi,  the  house  of  Aaron,  and  the  individual  high 
priest  stood  in  the  line  of  succession.  The  priests  repre- 
sented Jehovah  in  explaining  His  statutes,  and  they  repre- 
sented the  people  in  the  acts  of  public  worship.  They  were 
like  the  people  in  nature,  and  must  atone  for  their  own  sins. 
The  principal  part  of  this  side  of  the  representative  system  was 
found  in  the  ritual  of  public  worship  before  the  sanctuary 
of  Jehovah.  But  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  worship- 
pers there  were  the  community,  composed  of  the  great  mass 
of  individual  Hebrew^s.  The  priest  could  mediate  for  him 
in  the  mere  manipulation  of  the  elements  of  the  sacrifice, 


*Heb.  8:  10. 


268  JHE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


but  the  free-born  Hebrew  must  always  appear  in  his  own 
behalf  before  the  door  of  Jehovah's  dwelling-place. 

Furthermore,  after  ratifying  the  covenant  this  assembly 
furnished  the  material  for  the  construction  of  the  sanctuary; 
they  built  it  through  their  representatives;  they  accepted  the 
priesthood  which  God  sanctified,  and  in  their  corporate  life 
as  community  they  honored  Him  as  their  sovereign. 

In  the  Book  of  Numbers  we  have  the  formal  numbering, 
on  two  occasions,  of  this  corporate  community  with  the  fur- 
ther organization  of  the  people  as  a  civil  commonwealth. 
Here  we  find  the  second  side  of  the  representative  system 
as  it  is  connected  with  military  affairs  and  the  administra- 
tion of  justice.  Equal  justice  to  all  before  Jehovah  is  still 
the  principle  recognized  in  the  national  organization. 

The  time  contemplated  in  this  story  of  the  corporate  life 
of  the  people  is  the  period  of  wilderness-wandering.  It 
covers  just  six  months  more  than  the  period  of  Aaron's 
administration  of  the  religious  worship.  The  movements 
of  these  years  are  contemplated  from  the  point  of  view  of 
the  national  assembly  as  a  great  army  of  God.  They  form 
the  type  of  that  church  which  shall  follow  Christ  through 
the  life  militant  into  the  life  triumphant. 

Every  Hebrew  over  twenty  years  of  age  who  was  able  to 
bear  arms  was  enrolled  in  the  census.  But  this  enrollment 
was  to  be  made  "after  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their 
fathers."*  The  basis  of  this  polity  was,  therefore,  the 
house.  Political  rights  were  accorded  to  the  individual  only 
as  the  member  of  a  house.  The  next  formal  division  was 
that  of  the  family  or  collection  of  houses.  Then  in  the 
order  next  highest  came  the  tribe,  or  collection  of  families, 
while  the  assembly,  or  congregation,  was  the  general  mass- 
meeting  of  all  the  tribes. 

The  religious  mark  of  citizenship  was  the  rite  of  circum- 
cision. This  was  the  great  seal  of  the  covenant  which  each 
member  of  the  community  bore  upon  his  person.  The 
political  mark  of  citizenship  was  the  payment  of  a  poll-tax 
at  the  taking  of  the  census. f  Beyond  six  hundred  thousand 
fighting  men  were  the  Hebrews  in  number,  according  to 
the  census  taken  at  the  beginning  of  their  march. t  Thus 
were  they   arranged   according  to    tribes    in    the    national 

*Numb.  1:  2,3.    +Esod.  30:  11.    I  Numb.  1. 


THE  ELDERS  OF  THE  CONGREGATION.  269 


encampment,  under  their  standards  and  ensigns.*  In  a 
rectangular  form  was  the  camp  spread  out,  with  the  sanc- 
tuary in  the  midst  of  all.  Unto  the  door  of  this  sanctuary 
came  the  assembly  at  the  call  of  the  two  silver  trumpets. 
No  legislative  authority  was  vested  in  the  assembly.  They 
simply  accepted  Jehovah's  law,  according  to  the  terms  of 
the  covenant.  Certain  judicial  powers  were  vested  in  the 
assembly,  partly  exercised  in  mass-meeting  and  largely 
exercised  through  their  representative  judges. 

Thus  was  established  one  of  the  two  great  external  institu- 
tions of  the  law — the  Sabbath  and  the  assembly.  The  na- 
tional assembly  was  the  foundation  of  the  church  of  God. 
The  national  assembly-day  of  public  worship  was  the  second 
part  in  the  making  of  a  peculiar  people,  whose  chief  duty  it 
was  to  worship  Jehovah.  This  assembly-day  found  its 
highest  culmination  in  atonement-day,  although  its  simplest 
and  most  usual  meaning  was  set  forth  in  the  weekly  Sab- 
bath. Taking  this  Sabbath  as  representing  all  public  wpr- 
ship,  we  have  the  community  and  the  sacred  day  as  the 
corner-stones  of  the  divine  organization  of  God's  people. 

In  this  community,  as  the  body  politic,  was  lodged  the  only 
real  authority  that  was  vested  in  men;  Jehovah's  authority  is 
supreme  over  all,  but  His  authority  was  accepted  by  the  free 
choice  of  the  assembly,  and  in  that  act  itself  recognition  was 
accorded  to  a  certain  sovereignty  in  the  people  of  God.  The 
priestly  and  judicial  administrations  were  mediatorial;  that 
is,  they  represented  both  God  and  the  nation.  There  is  no 
evidence  here  to  support  the  systems  of  sacerdotalism  that 
claim  to  rest  on  the  theocracy.  The  priests  had  no  autho- 
rity as  proceeding  from  themselves,  but  only  as  they  repre- 
sented the  supreme  authority  of  Jehovah  and  the  limited  au- 
thority of  the  community.  As  between  God  and  men,  there 
is  no  support  in  this  covenant  for  the  dogmas  of  the  divine 
sight  of  bishops  and  the  divine  right  of  kings;  but  only  for 
the  divine  right  of  the  people  to  exercise  certain  privileges 
and  prerogatives  that  are  pleasing  to  Jehovah. 

The  Elders  of  the  Congregation. 

Judicial  authority  was  vested  in  the  national  assembly. 
The  constantly  recurring  command  to  the  people  was  this, 

*Kum.  2. 


270  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Put  away  the  evil  from  among  you.*  The  people  as  a  whole 
carried  out  nearly  all  death-sentences,  especially  in  the  case 
of  the  penalty  of  stoning. f  But  judicial  knowledge  in  the 
decision  of  cases  always  was  revealed  from  Jehovah.  *'  The 
judgment  is  God's,"  cried  Moses  unto  the  nation. +  To  seek 
justice  was  to  inquire  of  God.  § 

Between  Jehovah  and  the  nation  in  the  administration  of 
justice,  a  full-fledged  representative  system  was  recognized. 
This  system  was  made  up  of  three  sets  of  officials.  (1),  El- 
ders; (2),  judges;  (3),  officers.  The  covenant  at  Sinai  in- 
corporated in  the  theocracy  the  patriarchal  method  of  gov- 
ernment among  the  tribes,  Jehovah's  supreme  authority 
was  to  be  carried  down  into  the  tribal  life,  so  far  as  judicial 
matters  were  concerned,  in  the  same  manner  in  which  those 
affairs  had  been  administered  by  the  ancient  heads  of  the 
tribes. 

"  The  elders  "  of  'Israel  were  the  tribal  leaders  in  the  days 
of  the  exodus.  At  that  time  they  were  the  only  judges 
among  the  people, |  nor  did  they  ever  lose  their  authority  as 
representatives-at-large  for  the  entire  nation.^  Seventy  of  these 
elders  represented  the  people  in  the  covenant-feast  at  Sinai, 
when  they  ate  and  drank  in  the  presence  of  Jehovah.** 
There,  as  the  ''  nobles  of  the  children  of  Israel,"  they  formed 
a  kind  of  senate  around  Moses,  as  well  as  a  judicial  body. 
The  great  Sanhedrin  of  later  days,  in  which  was  vested  the 
highest  judicial  power,  was  based  most  probably  upon  the 
council  of  seventy  elders  who  surrounded  Moses. 

"The  judges"  were  selected  from  the  elders  by  Moses  at 
the  suggestion  of  Jethro.ff  These  men  represented  the  na- 
tion in  assisting  Moses.  They  were  chosen  by  the  people, 
though  nominated  by  Moses,  and  their  selection  depended 
also  upon  their  integrity.  Thus  did  the  people  sit  in  judg- 
ment through  these  representatives,  and  yet  when  judgment 
was  declared  it  was  the  expression  of  Jehovah's  will.  The 
princes  of  the  tribes,  "  every  one  head  of  the  house  of  his 
fathers,"  were  the  same  as  the  "judges"  appointed  at  Sinai 
before  the  covenant. 

"The  officers"  existed  before  the  exodus. J t  They  per- 
formed duties  in  connection  with  the  elders  and  judges,  and 

♦Numb.  5:  2.      +Deut.  13:  9;   17 :   7.      JDeut.  1:17.      §Exod.  18:15.      ||  Exod.  2:  14. 
IT  Numb.  7 :  2  ;  17 :  6 ;  34 :  18.      **  Exod.  24 :  9-11.      +t  Exod.  18 :  21.      U  Exod.  5 :  10. 


TEE  BRAZEN  SERPENT.  271 


therefore  seem  to  have  exercised  judicial  functions.*  Upon 
the  testimony  of  credible  witnesses  were  men  condemned 
before  these  tribunals,  and  the  hand  of  the  witness  must  be 
the  first  lifted  in  the  infliction  of  the  death-penalty. 

Thus  do  we  find  that  in  the  theocracy,  Jehovah's  supreme 
power  was  established  over  the  Hebrew  nation,  and  yet  the 
patriarchal  methods  of  government  and  of  worship  were 
still  preserved.  The  patriarch  of  the  tribe  had  been  the 
chief  priest,  and  now  in  God's  government  the  people  were 
still  represented  before  Him  through  the  priesthood.  The 
patriarch  had  been  the  chief  judge,  and  now  the  elders  re- 
tained in  their  hands  the  administration  of  justice.  The 
national  unity  and  the  national  life  were  guarded  by  the  the- 
ocracy. Jehovah  was  the  eternal  king  and  the  only  king. 
In  the  provision  made  for  an  earthly  king,  the  latter  was  to 
be  only  temporary.  Moreover,  he  was  to  be  chosen  by  the 
nation  and  was  to  be  Jehovah's  representative  for  a  time. 
In  religious  afi'airs,  the  access  of  each  individual  unto  Je- 
hovah was  secured,  not  through  his  superior,  but  through 
his  representative.  In  civil  affairs,  there  was  no  respect  of 
persons  before  the  law.  God's  authority  did  not  displace 
the  customs  and  methods  of  government  in  existence  among 
the  tribes,  but  was  administered  through  those  forms.  The 
state  was  not  absorbed  into  the  church  in  such  manner  that 
its  ancient,  individual  character  was  lost.  The  claim  of  the 
papacy  to  absolute  power  over  all  civil  governments  finds  no 
support  in  the  covenant  at  Sinai.  Nor  does  the  other  theory, 
that  the  church  is  only  a  part  and  parcel  of  the  state,  draw 
substantiation  from  the  national  compact  between  Jehovah 
and  His  people.  The  theocracy  was  dual  in  form,  in  so  far 
as  the  source  of  sovereignty  was  concerned.  JehoA'ah  was  the 
supreme  ruler  in  all  things;  in  so  far  as  certain  authority 
emanated  from  a  human  fountain,  it  came  from  the  people 
alone,  in  solemn  assembly  before  the  holy  sanctuary. 

The  Brazen  Serpent. 

When  the  organization  of  Israel  as  a  holy  community  was 
made  complete,  then  was  the  nation  started  upon  the  march. 
Canaan  as  the  ultimate  destination  was  set  before  the  peo- 
ple.   Guided  and  guarded  by  the  visible  tokens  of  Jehovah's 

*Nuinb.n:  16;  16:  18. 


272  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


presence  they  moved  forward.  Out  of  the  camp  did  they 
cast  all  diseased  and  unclean  jDersons.  The  voice  of  Jeho- 
vah gave  direction  and  announced  new  ordinances  unto 
Moses  from  the  mercy-seat.  In  the  movements  of  the  cloud, 
Jehovah  gave  definite  signals  for  marching  and  for  halting. 
By  means  of  the  manna  He  continued  to  feed  them.  And 
yet,  the  entire  generation  that  had  entered  into  the  covenant 
at  Sinai,  failed  to  keep  faith  with  Jehovah.  ''They  failed  to 
enter  in  because  of  unbelief."  The  story  of  this  long  test 
in  the  marchings  in  the  wilderness  and  of  the  gradual  fail- 
ure of  Israel  to  keep  their  plighted  oath  is  given  in  detail 
in  the  Book  of  Numbers.  In  that  story  we  see  the  organ- 
ized nation  on  trial  and  we  see  them  fail.  And  yet  out  of 
the  midst  of  this  old  body-politic  of  Sinai  there  sprang  a 
new  body  who  were  mustered  in  the  plains  of  Moab  ready  to 
enter  into  Canaan.  The  nation  as  a  covenant  people  did 
not  die  with  those  wanderers  in  the  wilderness.  It  was  pre- 
served through  the  working  of  the  national  organization  it- 
self. For  in  that  organization  was  the  eternal  power  of  the 
Godhead,  and  out  of  the  death  of  the  old  members  of  the 
covenant  Jehovah  brought  forth  the  new  and  stronger  na- 
tion. Stronger  in  faith  were  they  than  were  their  fathers. 
The  principle  of  a  personal  faith  in  Jehovah  as  the  link  be- 
tween Him  and  the  individual  was  clearly  set  forth  in  the 
symbol  of  the  brazen  serpent. 

This  symbol  of  Jehovah's  deliverance  of  the  individual 
who  believeth  in  Him  was  set  up  near  the  close  of  the 
wandering.  The  long  course  of  mumuring  and  rebellion  on 
the  part  of  the  people  and  the  consecjuent  punishments  vis- 
ited upon  them  is  set  forth  by  the  historian.*  A  plague 
carried  off  a  great  multitude  when  they  lusted  for  flesh  in- 
stead of  manna.  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abiram,  with  many 
followers,  rebelled  against  the  rule  of  Moses  and  Aaron,  and 
in  punishment,  some  were  swallowed  up  in  the  earth  and 
others  were  consumed  by  fire.  Then  died  fourteen  thousand 
seven  hundred  more  of  a  plague  because  of  further  murmur- 
ings.  Yea,  all  that  generation  was  condemned  to  die  in  the 
desert  because  they  murmured  concerning  the  land  of 
promise.  Even  Aaron  and  Miriam  spoke  against  their 
brother  and  were  punished.     Then  at  the  rock  of  Meribah, 


^Numb.  10-21. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  GOB.  273 


both  Moses  and  Aaron  showed  impatience  and  momentary 
distrust  of  Jehovah,  and  were  forbidden  to  enter  into  the 
land  of  promise.  In  all  these  varied  penalties  for  specific 
sins,  Jehovah  was  teaching  the  Hebrews  that  the  national 
covenant  was  made  up,  after  all,  of  the  sum  of  the  individ- 
ual oaths.  He  taught  them  that  each  man's  salvation  de- 
pended upon  his  individual  covenant  with  God.  The  cli- 
max of  this  teaching  was  reached  in  the  brazen  serpent 
suspended  upon  the  pole.  Fiery  serpents  were  sent  in  pun- 
ishment for  their  murmurings.  Healing  from  the  serpent's 
sting  was  offered  unto  those  who  would  look  upon  the  ser- 
pent of  brass.  Simple  faith  in  Jehovah  as  the  healer  was 
sufficient  to  re-establish  the  broken  covenant.  It  was  this 
divine  saving  power,  exercised  through  the  faith  of  the  peo- 
ple, that  brought  the  nation  at  last  into  the  promised  home. 
Thus  was  provision  made  in  the  national  organization  for 
the  specific  work  of  the  Son  of  God  in  imparting  new  life 
to  those  doomed  to  death — in  keeping  the  covenant  for 
those  who  have  violated  it,  "And  as  Moses  lifted  up  the 
serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  Man  be 
lifted  up,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish 
but  have  eternal  life."  * 

The  Spirit  of  God. 

The  Spirit  of  God  is  declared  in  the  Book  of  Genesis  to  be 
the  giver  of  light  and  life  unto  the  whole  world;  f  the  subduer 
of  evil  and  the  promoter  of  integrity  in  men's  hearts. J  In 
the  establishment  of  the  theocracy,  the  Spirit  was  the  agent 
through  whom  Jehovah  directed  all  the  affairs  of  divine  gov- 
ernment. First  of  all,  upon  Moses  and  the  college  of  seventy 
elders  rested  the  Spirit.  For  at  the  formal  appointment  of 
these  elders  as  the  assistants  of  Moses  in  the  civil  adminis- 
tration, "Jehovah  came  down  in  a  cloud  and  spake  unto 
him  [Moses]  and  took  of  the  Spirit  that  was  upon  him  and 
gave  unto  the  seventy  elders;  and  it  came  to  pass,  when  the 
Spirit  rested  upon  them,  they  prophesied. "§  It  is  here  im- 
plied that  the  Spirit  had  rested  upon  Moses  as  God's  prophet 
from  the  beginning  of  his  work.  It  is  further  implied  that 
the  same  Spirit  was  the  living  power  within  the  national  or- 
ganization of  the  people,  in  so  far  as  the  administration  of 

*John3:15.    +  Gen.  1:2.    1  Gen.  6:  3  ;  41 :  38.     g  Numb.  11 :  25. 

18 


•274  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


civil  affairs  through  the  elders  was  concerned.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Spirit  worked  also  through  the  priestly  ad- 
ministration. The  sanctuary  itself  was  built  by  Bezaleel, 
who  was  ''  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  wisdom,  in  under- 
standing, and  in  knowledge  and  in  all  manner  of  Avorkman- 
ship."  *  Then  was  the  tabernacle  and  all  that  was  therein 
anointed  with  the  holy  oil,  a  symbol  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Like- 
wise, the  priests  were  inducted  into  office  by  the  use  of  the 
consecrating  oil,  all  of  these  ceremonials  prefiguring  the 
coming  of  One  who  should  be  called  preeminentlj'^  the  Mes- 
siah, or  the  Christ,  that  is,  the  Anointed.  Christ's  anoint- 
ment was  the  Spirit  in  full  measure,  just  as  His  types,  the 
sanctuary  and  the  priesthood,  were  sanctified  symbolicalh^ 
with  oil. 

The  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  directing  the  organized  na- 
tion unto  prosperity  and  blessing  was  set  forth  in  the  story  of 
the  prophecies  of  Balaam.  This  man  was  a  practiser  of 
heathen  sorcery  and  soothsaying  from  Mesopotamia,  w^iose 
fame  had  extended  westward.  Barak  sent  for  him  to  come  and 
utter  magical  curses  against  the  further  advance  of  God's  peo- 
ple. Balaam  had  evidently  learned  something  of  the  true  God 
from  the  descendants  of  Nahor  in  the  old  home  of  Abraham, 
beyond  the  Euphrates.  He  knew  and  quoted  some  of  the 
history  of  this  nation  sprung  from  Abraham.  He  had  heard, 
possibly,  of  the  miracles  connected  with  the  exodus,  and 
now,  like  an  earlier  Simon  Magus,  desired  to  have  the  gift 
of  wonder-working  through  the  name  of  Jehovah.  Perhaps 
he  had  some  real  reverence  for  the  God  of  the  Hebrews,  but 
his  love  for  the  wages  of  unrighteousness  was  stronger. 
Most  probably  he  saw  that  tjie  call  of  duty  and  right  was 
the  spoken  command  of  God,  but  he  deliberately  broke  away 
from  it.  Then  "  the  Spirit  of  God  came  upon  him."t  With 
such  inward  power  came  the  Spirit  that  Balaam  fell  down 
and  his  e3'^es  were  opened,  and  in  a  vision  he  saw  the  Al- 
mighty; then  heard  he  the  words  of  God  and  spake  them. 
The  man's  bodily  powers  were  overcome,  his  will  was  sub- 
dued, his  mind  was  enlightened,  and  he  was  compelled  to 
foretell  the  coming  power  and  glory  of  the  Hebrew  nation. 
When  the  Spirit  departed  from  him,  then  returned  his  old 
obstinacy,  and  he  devised  the  devilish  scheme  of  inveigling 

*  Exod.  35:  31.    +  Numb.  24:  2. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  GOD.  275 


the  Israelites  into  open  sin,  but  the  result  of  this  measure 
to  Balaam  was  the  loss  of  his  life.  In  that  great  transaction 
on  the  mountain-top,  Jehovah  had  shown  through  His  Spirit 
what  future  He  had  in  store  for  his  people.  Likewise  had 
He  shown  that  the  trinity  of  divine  power  was  working  in 
this  great  organization  leading  it  forward  unto  that  time 

when 

There  shall  come  a  star  out  of  Jacob 
And  a  sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Israel, 

— when  the  wise  men  from  Balaam's  country,  but  not  with 
Balaam's  disposition,  should  come  to  worship  Him  who  is  born 
King  of  the  Jews,  and  who  gathers  about  Himself  a  church 
whereof  this  Hebrew  nation  was  only  a  type. 


276  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Jehovah's  Ideal  for  the  Nation. 

[Book  of  Deuteronomy.] 
The  Last  Messages  of  Moses. 

THE  eleventh  month  of  the  fortieth  year  of  Israel's  wan- 
derings after  crossing  the  Red  Sea,  found  the  assembly 
of  the  tribes  gathered  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  Jordan  near 
Jericho.  The  first  ten  days  of  that  eleventh  month  were 
spent  by  Moses  in  delivering  his  final  messages  unto  the 
people.  Then,  beyond  the  view  of  Israel,  on  the  summit 
of  Mt,  Nebo,  the  great  leader  was  transferred  to  Abraham's 
bosom.  The  people  of  Israel  spent  thirty  days  in  mourning 
for  Moses,  and  afterwards,  under  Joshua's  leadership,  crossed 
over  the  river  Jordan  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  first  month  of 
the  forty-first  year  after  the  exodus.* 

Three  distinct  discourses  unto  the  people,  with  certain 
words  and  acts  of  final  blessing,  comprehend  the  active  work 
of  Moses  during  these  ten  last  days  of  his  life,  and  the  re- 
cord thereof  constitutes  the  Book  of  Deuteronomy.  These 
addresses  were  made  unto  the  national  assembly  in  its  orga- 
nized capacity  as  the  body-politic  of  Israel.  The  organiza- 
tion of  that  assembly  at  Sinai,  and  its  subsequent  test  during 
thirty-eight  years  in  the  wilderness  as  the  local  governing 
power — these  facts,  as  already  well-known,  formed  the  back- 
ground of  the  discourses  of  Moses.  Then,  looking  into  the 
future,  Moses  set  forth  the  ideals  in  political,  religious,  and 
social  life  which  Jehovah  had  revealed  as  the  special  task 
to  be  wrought  out  by  the  Hebrew  National  Assembly  in  the 
home  beyond  the  Jordan.  That  this  may  be  made  clear,  let 
us  examine  in  detail  the  three  addresses. 

Jehovah,  God  of  Your  Fathers. 

The  first  address  of  Moses  is  contained  in  Deuteronomy 
1:  1 — 4:  40.     The  people  to  whom  he  spake  was  Israel  in  its 

*Deut.  1:  3;  34:  8.    Joshua4:19'. 


JEHOVAH,  GOD  OF  YOUR  FATHERS.  277 


organized  character.  "  In  the  fortieth  year,  in  the  eleventh 
month,  on  the  first  day  of  tlie  month,  Moses  spake  unto  tlie 
children  of  Israel."*  They  stood  before  him  as  the  seed  of 
Abraham,!  the  successors  of  the  covenanters  of  Sinai,  t  and 
of  the  electors  of  the  administration  of  elders,  judges,  and 
officers,§  and  of  the  rebels  of  Kadesh-Barnea.||  "The  gen- 
eration of  the  men  of  war  "  that  came  out  of  Egypt  was 
already  wasted  away,  and  the  second  generation  of  Israelites 
listened  unto  the  words  of  Moses.  He  appealed  to  their 
patriotism,  to  their  national  pride.  As  the  successors  of  the 
national  assembly  at  Sinai,  they  must  take  their  place  among 
the  nations  of  the  earth.  In  the  name  of  Jehovah,  Moses 
cried  out,  "  This  day  will  I  begin  to  put  the  dread  of  thee 
and  the  fear  of  thee  upon  the  nations  that  are  under  the 
whole  heaven,  who  shall  hear  report  of  thee,  and  shall 
tremble  and  be  in  anguish  because  of  thee."  \ 

We  have  learned  already  that  the  period  of  the  exodus 
saw  both  a  religious  and  a  political  revolution.  The  Al- 
mighty God,  as  the  only  king  of  united  tribes  of  men,  re- 
vealed a  new  idea  concerning  the  relation  of  the  soul  of  man 
to  the  one  supreme  spiritual  being,  and  a  further  new  idea 
concerning  the  local  authority  lodged  in  the  organized  body- 
politic  of  the  nation.  It  was  a  new  dispensation  among  the 
nations  of  the  earth,  that  a  national  assembly  should  have 
the  power  of  self-administration  in  certain  important  affairs 
of  the  national  life.  It  was  this  new  political  power  which 
Moses  discussed  in  these  three  addresses;  it  was  the  func- 
tion of  the  national  organization  in  the  furtherance  of  Je- 
hovah's plans  for  His  people,  of  which  he  spake.  Just  as 
the  religious  life  of  the  nation  rested  upon  the  voluntary 
offerings  upon  the  national  altar,  so  were  the  civil  life  and 
the  civil  progress  of  the  nation  to  rest  upon  the  voluntary 
obedience  of  the  assembly  unto  Him  who  organized  it. 
Now,  in  this  first  speech,  Moses  laid  chief  stress  upon  the 
character  of  Jehovah  as  the  organizer  of  the  national  as- 
sembly. This  thought  was  brought  forward  time  and  again 
in  the  phrase  "  Jehovah,  God  of  your  fathers."  Unto  Him 
must  the  national  sentiment  of  obedience  be  directed. 
"  Now,  therefore,  hearken,  0  Israel,  unto  the  statutes  and 

*  Deut.  1:3.   f  Deut.  1:8.   |  Deut.  1:6,7,8.   §  Deut.  1 :  15, 16.   ||  Deut.  1 :  19-38,  43- 
IT  Deut.  2:  25. 


278  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


unto  the  judgments  which  I  teach  you  for  to  do  them,  that 
ye  may  live  and  go  in  and  possess  the  land  which  Jehovah 
God  of  your  fathers  giveth  you."*  Every  step  in  the  long 
process  whereby  Jehovah  created  the  national  organization 
was  recalled  to  the  memory  of  the  people. 

(1)  "God  assayed  to  go  and  take  Him  a  nation  from  the 
midst  of  another  nation,  by  temptations,  by  signs,  and  by 
wonders,  and  by  war  and  by  a  mighty  hand  and  by  a 
stretched-out  arm."  \ 

(2)  "Jehovah  thy  God  .  .  in  Horeb  said  unto  me, 
Gather  Me  the  people  together  and  I  will  make  them  hear 
my  words.  .  .  .  And  Jehovah  spake  unto  you  out  of  the 
midst  of  the  fire.  .  .  .  And  He  declared  unto  you  His 
covenant."  t 

(3)  "These  forty  years  Jehovah  thy  God  hath  been  with 
thee."  .  .  .  "And  because  He  loved  thy  fathers,  there- 
fore He  chose  their  seed  after  them."§ 

Jehovah  has  been  the  source  of  their  origin  as  a  nation 
and  of  their  strength  as  a  nation.  When  they  have  forgot- 
ten Him  and  have  rebelled  against  Him,  then  have  they 
been  weak.  Therefore  the  only  hope  for  the  future  of  the 
nation  is  faithfulness  unto  Jehovah,  even  as  He  hath  been 
faithful  unto  His  people.  "Take  heed  unto  yourselves  lest 
ye  forget  the  covenant  of  Jehovah  your  God.  .  .  .  Jeho- 
vah thy  God  will  not  .  .  .  forget  the  covenant  of  thy 
fathers  which  He  sware  unto  them."  || 

The  one  great  fact  which  is  set  forth  in  this  address  is 
this:  that  the  national  covenant  at  Sinai  has  been  already 
completed  and  has  been  in  operation  nearly  forty  years. 
The  terms  of  that  covenant  are  known  to  this  assembly.  The 
law  is  known  likewise,  but  the  people  need  admonition  con- 
cerning their  attitude  to  that  law.  Some  of  th  e  modern  critics 
suppose  that  the  law  as  an  expanded  code  was  not  given  at 
Sinai,  but  was  developed  by  the  nation  from  the  outline 
given  in  Deuteronomy.  It  appears  very  clear,  however, 
that  the  utterances  in  the  Book  of  Deuteronomy  presuppose 
all  the  details  of  the  covenant  at  Sinai;  they  presuppose 
the  organization  of  the  assembly  with  its  representative 
elders  and  judges  and  its  representative  priests.  The  life 
of  the  organization  already  completed,  saith  Moses  in  this 

*Deut.4:l.    +Deut.4:34.    t  Deut.  4:  10, 12, 13.    gDeut.  2:  7;  4:  37.    ||  Deut.4:  23,31. 


NATIONAL  IDEALS.  279 


first  address,  depends  upon  keeping  in  contact  with  Him 
who  made  the  organization.  The  covenant  ah-eady  sworn 
to  must  be  preserved  by  eternal  obedience.  .Jehovah,  God 
of  their  fathers,  must  be  kept  as  their  God  by  means  of  that 
great  national  compact.  The  unity  and  the  life  of  the  nation 
depends  upon  their  keeping  the  law  already  given.  "Jeho- 
vah ...  is  God  in  heaven  above  and  upon  the  earth 
beneath;  there  is  none  else.  Thou  shalt  keep,  therefore, 
His  statutes  and  His  commandments  which  I  command 
thee  this  day,  that  it  may  go  well  with  thee  and  with  thy 
children  after  thee,  and  that  thou  mayest  prolong  thy  days 
upon  the  earth  which  Jehovah  thy  God  giveth  thee  for- 
ever.    * 

There  is  a  further  link  with  the  past  history  of  Israel  in 
the  use  of  the  double  name,  "Jehovah,  God  of  your  fathers." 
Moses  uses  the  compound  name  to  indicate  the  God  of  the 
covenant  and  the  God  of  creation.  "Ask  now  of  the  days 
that  are  past,  which  were  before  thee,  since  the  day  that 
God  created  man  upon  the  earth.  .  .  .  Did  ever  people 
hear  the  voice  of  God  speaking  out  of  the  midst  of  the  fire 
as  thou  hast  heard  and  live?  .  .  .  Unto  thee  it  was 
showed  that  thou  mightest  know  that  Jehovah  He  is  God; 
there  is  none  else  beside  Him."t 

Thus  do  we  find  in  this  address  a  vital  connection  exist- 
ing between  the  substance  of  Deuteronomy  and  the  sub- 
stance of  Exodus,  Leviticus,  and  Numbers.  The  organiza- 
tion effected  in  the  period  covered  by  those  three  books  is 
here  viewed  in  connection  with  the  character  of  Jehovah, 
God  of  their  fathers,  who  instituted  that  national  organic 
life.  Again,  we  find  a  vital  connection  between  the  Book  of 
Deuteronomy  and  the  Book  of  Genesis.  The  same  God  is 
the  author  of  creation  and  of  national  government,  and  that 
God  is  the  Jehovah  of  the  Hebrews. 

National  Ideals. 

The  second  address  of  Moses  is  recorded  in  Deuteronomy 
5-26.  More  clearly  than  in  the  first  address  is  it  here 
made  certain  that  Moses  spake  to  the  national  assembly  as 
the  body-politic  in  the  administration  of  civil  aff'airs.  They 
represented  the  continuity  of  the  nation.  "Jehovah  made  not 

*  Deut.  4 :  39,  40.    i  Deut.  4 :  32,  33.  35. 


280  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


this  covenant  with  our  fathers,  but  with  us,  even  us  who  are 
all  of  us  here  alive  this  day."*  Moreover,  the  assembly 
before  him  represented  the  old  tribal  organization  which  was 
recognized  and  preserved  in  the  covenant.  "Jehovah  sjDake 
unto  all  your  assembly  in  the  mount.  .  .  .  And  it  came 
to  pass  .  .  .  that  ye  came  near  unto  Me,  even  all  the 
heads  of  your  tribes  and  your  elders.  And  ye  said  .  .  . 
Go  thou  near  and  hear  all  that  Jehovah  our  God  shall  say, 
and  speak  thou  unto  us  all  that  Jehovah  our  God  shall  speak 
unto  thee,  and  we  will  hear  it  and  do  it,"t  The  authority 
with  which  Moses  spake  came  not  only  from  Jehovah,  but 
also  from  the  assembly.  They  had  chosen  him  as  their 
representative  before  God.  They  had  bound  themselves  as 
an  entire  body  of  people  to  hear  and  obey  what  he  should 
speak.  That  same  political  body  of  united  tribes  was  now 
standing  before  him,  still  directed  by  their  chosen  elders 
and  judges,  and  unto  this  little  republican  commonwealth 
did  Moses  address  himself  concerning  the  inner  life  and 
the  future  hopes  of  the  nation. 

(1)  The  first  principle  of  the  national  law  is  love.  This 
declaration  occupies  the  record  in  the  seven  chapters,  Deut. 
5-11.  The  decalogue  is  repeated  before  the  people  and  its 
spirit  is  summed  up  thus:  "Thou  shalt  love  Jehovah  thy 
God  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul  and  with  all 
thy  might."  X  Jehovah's  words  must  be  lodged  in  the  heart, 
must  be  bound  as  frontlets  between  the  eyes  and  written  on 
the  door-posts  and  upon  the  gate-posts. §  This  inward  tri- 
bute of  love  toward  God  is  called  for  as  an  expression  of 
gratitude  for  God's  love  toward  the  nation.  "  Because  Je- 
hovah loved  you  and  because  He  would  keep  the  oath  which 
He  had  sworn  unto  your  fathers  hath  Jehovah  brought  you 

out from  Pharaoh."  ||     The  law  delivered 

to  the  nation  at  Sinai  was  the  gift  of  Jehovah's  love;  the 
people  needed  this  code  of  regulations  for  the  inner  life  just 
as  much  as  they  needed  deliverance  from  Egypt.  The  law 
has  done  more  toward  the  establishment  of  Israel  as  a  sepa- 
rate nation  than  was  accomplished  in  the  miracle  at  the 
Red  Sea.  Great  moral  and  religious  principles  are  of  more 
worth  as  national  treasures  than  the  memory  of  the  defeat 
of  the  Pharaoh's  host.    The  ten  commandments  and  the  other 

*Deut.  5:  3.    tDeut.  5:  22-27.    I  Deut.  6;  1-9.    §  Deut.  6:  1-9.    IJDeut.  7:  7-8. 


NATIONAL  IDEALS.  281 


statutes  of  the  law  are  the  highest  expression  of  Jehovah's 
love.  They  reveal  the  secret  of  the  way  unto  a  holy  life; 
they  are  the  formulated  principles  that  regulate  the  invisi- 
ble kingdom  of  the  Redeemer.  The  law  is  the  legal  sum- 
mary of  that  covenant  which  Jehovah's  mercy  has  led  Him 
to  complete  with  Israel;  it  is  one  of  the  attributes  of  His 
character  that  He  will  be  faithful  to  the  terms  of  that  com- 
pact. The  provisions  of  the  great  covenant  imply  that  Je- 
hovah will  plant  this  people  in  a  land  of  great  fruitfulness, 
wherein  they  shall  eat  bread  without  scarceness.  *  He  will 
drive  out  heathen  nations  before  Israel,  and  the  yoke  of 
their  fear  will  He  lay  upon  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth.  In 
the  face  of  other  people  will  He  manifest  himself  as  Israel's 
benefactor  and  deliverer,  as  "  God  of  gods  and  Lord  of  lords, 
a  great  God,  a  mighty  and  a  terrible."  f  All  this  external 
manifestation  of  His  power  in  their  behalf,  both  in  the  past 
and  in  the  present,  is  based  entirely  upon  Jehovah's  love  for 
His  chosen.  These  are  His  ways  of  blessing  His  children. 
But  all  these  mercies  are  a  part  of  the  terms  of  His  cove- 
nant; they  are  the  spirit  of  the  written  form  of  His  love. 
Therefore,  these  temporal  blessings  must  come  upon  the 
people  through  the  administration  of  the  covenant  law.  The 
assembly,  as  the  sworn  agents  of  administration,  must  work 
their  part  in  securing  these  national  benefits.  The  law 
must  take  hold  upon  their  hearts  and  lives.  They  must 
put  themselves  in  sympathy  with  Jehovah's  government  by 
loving  Him.  The  national  oath  to  keep  the  covenant  im- 
plies love  to  Jehovah.  Just  as  love  was  the  ground  motive 
of  God  in  His  work  of  building  up  the  nation,  so  must  love 
toward  Him  prompt  all  the  acts  of  the  people.  They  must 
live  as  an  holy  people;  they  must  not  tolerate  idolaters 
when  they  come  into  Canaan;  they  must  enter  not  into 
covenant  with  the  heathen  nations ;  in  all  matters  must  they 
be  an  exclusive  people,  living  apart  from  contamination. 
If  this  nation  shall  observe  with  sincerity  all  the  charges, 
commandments,  testimonies,  statutes  and  judgments  de- 
livered through  Moses,  then  shall  their  strength  be  as  that 
of  the  everlasting  hills.  "  There  shall  no  man  be  able 
to  stand  before  you;  for  Jehovah  your  God  shall  lay  the 

*Deut.  8.    xDeut.  10:  17;  U:  23. 


382  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


fear  of  you  and  the  dread  of  you  upon  all  the  land  that  ye 
shall  tread  upon."  * 

The  ideal  here  proposed  is  that  of  a  great  people,  whose 
external  power  is  manifest,  but  whose  internal  strength  is 
invisible.  Great  outward  freedom  shall  rest  upon  moral 
principles.  The  strength  of  this  nation  must  begin  to 
spring  up  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  The  love  for  Jeho- 
vah and  His  law  is  declared  to  be  the  only  foundation  for 
national  prosperity. 

(2)  Unity  in  the  national  worship.  In  Deuteronomy  12: 
1-16,  17,  Moses  speaks  to  the  assembly  as  a  body  of  wor- 
shippers. From  his  new  point  of  view  he  refers  to  the 
religious  laws  given  at  Sinai.  Those  laws  are  here  pre- 
supposed. The  people  already  are  familiar  with  them. 
But  a  great  crisis  is  just  before  the  people.  They  are  about 
to  pass  from  a  nomadic  state  of  existence  to  a  life  among 
the  fertile  fields  of  Canaan.  There  will  they  be  scattered 
over  a  broad  expanse  of  land.  The  tribes  will  be  widely 
separated.  But  they  must  have  only  one  national  sanctuary. 
They  must  remain  as  a  unit  in  the  worship  of  their  Re- 
deemer. "There  shall  be  a  place  which  Jehovah  your  God 
shall  choose  to  cause  His  name  to  dwell  there. "f  The  regu- 
lations concerning  sacrifices  are  repeated  here  by  Moses  in 
connection  with  the  specific  injunction  that  they  must  be 
offered  at  this  religious  capital  of  the  nation.  If  a  dreamer 
shall  arise  to  teach  rules  of  worship  contrary  in  spirit  to 
these  laws  now  enjoined,  let  the  assembly  stone  him.  Their 
unity  and  their  purity  must  be  guarded  by  the  use  of  force 
against  all  open  teachers  of  apostasy. +  The  laws  concern- 
ing the  clean  animals  to  be  used  for  food  are  again  enjoined 
as  necessary  to  the  dignity  of  the  children  of  Jehovah,  and 
as  essential  means  in  preserving  unity  in  the  religious  life.§ 
The  law  of  charity  to  the  poor  and  the  law  of  grateful  tri- 
bute of  the  firstling  of  the  flock  unto  Jehovah  are  likewise 
enforced  as  bonds  of  national  unity.  ||  As  a  climax  to  these 
renewed  precepts  concerning  unity  of  worship,  Moses  names 
again  the  three  great  festivals.  The  previous  legislation 
concerning  these  is  made  the  basis  of  the  present  regula- 
tions, that  they  must  be  all  celebrated  at  the  central  sanctu- 
ary.    The  national   assembly  shall  there  meet  as  a  solemn 

*Deut.  11:25.    iDeut.  12:11.    t  Deut.  13.    ^  Deut.  14.    l|Deut.  15. 


NATIONAL  IDEALS.  283 


assembly.  The  hioliest  expression  of  the  unity  of  the  na- 
tion shall  be  these  festivals  around  the  one  holy  place. 
"  Three  times  in  a  year  shall  all  thy  males  appear  before 
Jehovah  thy  God  in  the  place  where  He  shall  choose."* 

(3)  The  national  administration  must  be  subject  to  Jeho- 
vah. Deuteronomy  16:  18 — 18:  22,  refers  to  the  represen- 
tative system  established  at  Sinai.  Here  find  we  crowning 
proof  that  Moses  addresses  in  all  these  speeches  the  national 
assembly  concerning  its  functions  as  the  agent  of  Jehovah's 
sovereignty.  This  assembly  must  enforce  both  the  civil 
and  religious  ordinances  of  the  law.  Its  system  of  judicial 
administration  must  be  preserved;  but  Jehovah  must  still 
share  in  the  selection  of  the  judges.  If  the  crime  be  a  re- 
ligious one,  then  the  assembly  itself  must  be  judge  and 
executioner,  appealing  unto  Jehovah,  through  the  priests 
and  Levites,  in  all  cases  of  difficulty.  The  system  of  repre- 
sentation by  chosen  judges  and  chosen  priests  may  be  fur- 
ther expanded  in  the  choice  of  a  king.  Even  then,  Jeho- 
vah must  bear  a  part  in  choosing  the  individual  who  is  to 
represent  both  Himself  and  the  people  in  the  executive 
office.  Again,  the  priests  and  Levites  are  mentioned  as  pos- 
sessing administrative  functions,  representing  the  assembly 
before  Jehovah.  Finally,  Moses  foretells  the  selection  of  a 
prophet  like  unto  himself.  ''Jehovah  thy  God  will  raise  up 
unto  thee  a  prophet  from  the  midst  of  thee,  of  thy  brethren, 
like  unto  me;  unto  him  ye  shall  hearken."!  Here  have  we  a 
prophecy  of  the  Christ  who  shall  fulfill  all  the  purposes  of  the 
theocracy.  He  shall  come  from  God  and  yet  He  shall  rep- 
resent Israel.  He  shall  bring  with  him  divine  authority, 
and  yet  He  shall  perform  all  the  administrative  functions 
of  priest,  king  and  prophet.  Just  as  Moses  is  the  head  of 
both  of  the  lines  of  divinely-appointed  men  who  administer 
civil  and  religious  affairs  in  the  assembly,  so  will  He  gather 
into  His  personality  all  the  administration  of  affairs  between 
man  and  God.  "  The  government  shall  be  upon  His  shoul- 
ders and  His  name  shall  be  called 

the  Prince  of  Peace. "t 

(4)  In  all  social  relations  the  nation  must  be  just  and  hu- 
mane. Moses  concludes  his  summary  of  national  ideals  con- 
cerning the  life  of  the  people  of  Israel  in  Deuteronomy  19-26. 

*  Deut.  16 :  1-17.    +  Deut.  18 :  15.    I  Isa.  9. 


284  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


Here  we  find  injunctions  concerning  social  purity,  filling  out 
the  entire  round  of  statutes  that  began  with  ecclesiastical 
and  civil  affairs.  Be  it  remembered,  that  Moses  continues 
to  hold  the  national  point  of  view  in  setting  forth  these  so- 
cial principles.  The  nation  is  a  unit;  therefore  must  the 
national  life  be  unified  by  the  observance  of  strict  precepts 
of  integrity  and  honor.  Human  life  must  be  held  sacred 
in  the  enforcement  of  strict  justice,  and  also  in  the  provision 
for  mercy  in  the  cities  of  refuge.  Moderation  must  be 
shown  in  the  treatment  of  faint-hearted  men  and  of  prison- 
ers taken  in  battle.  A  gentle  humanity  must  mark  their 
treatment  of  all  men  and  of  all  beasts.  Freedom  from  con- 
tact with  any  evil  thing  must  be  carefully  guarded.  The 
national  honor  must  be  maintained  among  all  men.  The 
fragments  of  the  harvest  must  be  left  in  the  field  for  the 
gleaner,  and  even  the  ox  that  treadeth  out  the  corn  must 
not  be  muzzled.  Precepts  many  are  set  before  the  nation 
as  guides  unto  their  inward  growth  in  all  the  graces  of  an 
exalted  humanity.  All  of  these  ideals  are  fitly  rounded  into 
one  compact  model  of  law  and  truth,  which  the  nation  must 
follow  as  Jehovah's  chosen  people  among  the  tribes  of  earth. 
"  Jehovah  hath  avouched  thee  this  day  to  be  His  peculiar 

people,  as  He  has  promised  thee to  make 

thee  high  above  all  nations  which  He  hath  made,  in  praise 
and  in  name  and  in  honor."* 

The  Everlasting  Covenant. 

The  third  address  of  Moses  is  contained  in  Deuteronomy 
27 — 30.  He  concerns  himself  here  with  the  renewal  of 
the  covenant  between  Jehovah  and  the  national  assembly. 
*' Ye  stand  this  day,  all  of  you,  before  Jehovah  your  God; 
your  captains,  your  tribes,  your  elders,  and  your  ofiicers,  all 
the  men  of  Israel;  your  little  ones,  your  wives,  and  thy 
stranger  that  is  in  thy  camp,  from  the  hewer  of  thy  wood 
unto  the  drawer  of  thy  water:  that  thou  shouldest  enter  into 
covenant  with  Jehovah  thy  God."  \  All  the  elements  that 
make  up  the  nation  stand  before  him,  under  the  direction 
of  their  civil  administrators.  They  renew  the  solemn  oath 
given  at  Sinai,  but  the  sacrifices  then  offered  are  not  re- 
peated here.    The  blood  of  that  first  covenant  sacrifice  serves 

*  Deut.  26  :  19.    i  Deut.  29 :  10-12. 


THE  EVERLASTING  COVENANT.  285 


to  sanctify  this  new  oath.  No  new  terms  are  stipulated  in 
the  contract,  but  the  national  organization  is  simply  called 
upon  to  renew  the  solemn  professions  of  obedience  sworn  to 
by  the  assembly  at  Sinai.  The  tribes  of  Israel  as  a  national 
unit  under  their  tribal  leaders  ratify  the  obligations  assumed 
by  their  fathers.  They  recognize  that  the  preservation  of 
that  national  unity  depends  upon  the  covenant  made  with 
Jehovah.  It  must  be  an  everlasting  covenant  in  order  that 
the  nation  may  abide  forever. 

Not  only  in  the  plains  of  Moab,  in  his  own  presence,  does 
Moses  make  the  people  swear  anew  unto  the  terms  of  the  cove- 
nant, but  the  larger  part  of  this  address  is  occupied  with  in- 
junctions concerning  a  further  ratification  when  they  shall 
have  passed  over  Jordan.  The  voice  of  the  elders  of  Israel 
is  added  unto  the  commandment  of  Moses*  as  a  ratification 
of  his  authority.  Likewise,  the  priests  speak  also  in  con- 
firmation of  what  Moses  enjoins.  All  the  authority  that 
was  lodged  in  the  national  organization  itself,  first  through 
the  elders  as  the  civil  representatives  and  then  through  the 
priests  as  the  religious  representatives,  is  added  to  the 
authority  from  Jehovah  whereby  Moses  calls  this  last  time 
upon  Israel:  "On  the  day  when  ye  shall  pass  over  Jordan 

thou  shalt  set  thee  up  great  stones  and 

plaister  them  with  plaister:  and  thou  shalt  write  upon  them 

all  the  words  of  this  law in  Mount 

Ebal,  ....  and  there  shalt  thou  build  an  altar  unto 
Jehovah  thy  God,  ....  and  thou  shalt  ofifer  burnt- 
offerings  ....  and  peace  offerings,  .  .  .  and  re- 
joice before  Jehovah  thy  God."t  Moses  further  enjoins  that 
the  nation  shall  stand  on  Mount  Ebal  and  on  Mount  Geri- 
zim,  in  renewing  the  covenant,  according  to  their  tribal 
divisions.  It  s"hall  be  the  Abrahamic  covenant  merged  into 
the  covenant  of  Sinai.  From  the  beginning  the  nation  has 
been  a  unit  through  the  covenant,  and  only  through  the 
same  compact  shall  it  continue  as  a  nation  forever.  The 
spirit  of  the  covenant  stipulations  shall  be  repeated  by  the 
people  in  the  form  of  the  curses  and  the  blessings  attached 
to  God's  law  as  penalties  and  rewards. +  The  climax  of  pen- 
alty is  reached  when  Moses  foretells  the  complete  dissolu- 
tion of  the  nation  and  their  return  back  into  Egypt,  if  they 

*Deut.  27  :  1.    +  Deut.  27  :  2-8.    |  Deut.  27  and  28. 


286  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


keep  not  God's  law.  As  God  created  the  national  organiza- 
tion through  the  agency  of  the  covenant,  so  will  He  un-make 
the  organization  and  scatter  the  dissolved  members  thereof 
through  the  land  of  bondage  whence  He  once  led  them,  if 
the}'  keep  not  the  terms  of  that  great  national  compact.* 
And  yet,  the  permanence  of  the  nation  is  not  surrendered 
entirely  to  the  action  of  the  assembly.  Their  obedience  will 
hasten,  their  rebellion  will  postpone,  the  final  unity  of  God's 
people.  Even  from  the  nations  of  the  earth  into  whose 
bosom  the  curse  for  disobedience  shall  drive  the  fragments 
of  this  dissolved  organization,  even  from  the  places  of  their 
bondage  shall  He  finally  call  forth  a  people  to  keep  His 
covenant.  A  great  national  restoration  shall  at  last,  far  off, 
follow  the  penalties  that  come  upon  those  generations  that 
shall  be  stiff-necked  before  God.  The  calling  of  the  spiritual 
Israel  from  the  midst  of  Jews  and  Gentiles  by  the  prophet 
like  unto  Moses  is  here  distinctly  foreshadowed. 

Some  discussion  has  arisen  concerning  the  law  here  men- 
tioned by  Moses.  It  must  seem  clear  that  this  can  be  none 
other  than  the  entire  legislation  of  the  Pentateuch  given 
unto  Israel  through  Moses.  The  law  here  enjoined  is  the 
bond  of  national  unity.  It  is  sworn  to  in  t^ie  plains  of 
Moab  by  the  assembly  for  itself,  and  also 'as  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  patriarchs  and  the  representative  of 
posterity,  f  The  nation,  as  it  takes  the  solemn  cove- 
nant again  before  Moses,  is  a  unit  in  the  present,  the 
past  and  the  future.  The  bond  of  that  unity  is  called  by 
Moses  "the  words  of  this  law."+  In  spirit  it  must  be  the 
same  law  imposed  upon  Abraham  and  upon  the  assembly 
at  Sinai.  The  people  swear  unto  the  words  as  Moses  speaks 
them  in  Moab;  they  are  to  write  them  upon  stones  in  Ebal; 
they  are  to  utter  the  sanctions  of  that  law  as  summed  up  in 
its  blessings  and  curses;  and,  moreover,  they  must  con- 
tinually keep  its  precepts  written  in  their  hearts. §  Fur- 
ther, as  to  its  constituent  parts  this  law  has  already  been 
mentioned  as  Jehovah's  charges,  commandments,  testimo- 
nies, statutes  and  judgments.  This  law  can  be  only  the 
written  form  of  all  Jehovah's  sovereign  acts  in  establishing 
the  nation.     It  can  be  only  the  national  legislation,  enacted 

*Deut.  28:  15-68.    +  Deut.  29:  13, 14, 15.    1  Deut.  27:  3.    §Deut.  30:14. 


THE  THREE  LEGAL  CODES.  287 


from  the  beginning  of  the  history  of  this  people  until  this 
present  hour. 

The  Three  Legal  Codes. 

Some  modern  critics  have  made  a  division  of  the  laws  of 
the  Pentateuch  into  the  covenant-code,  the  priest-code  and  the 
Deuteronomic-code,  and  assert  that  these  codes  were  drawn  up 
during  widely  separated  periods  in  Israel's  history.*  Some 
hold,  further,  that  the  Deuteronomic-code  M'as  the  only  part 
of  the  law  developed  at  the  time  of  the  exodus  and  that 
this  is  "the  law"  enjoined  by  Moses  in  Moab.  But  the 
historical  facts  disprove  the  claims  of  this  theory.  If  we 
regard  the  covenant-code  as  that  part  of  the  law  connected 
with  the  formation  of  the  nation  at  Sinai,  the  priest-code 
as  connected  with  the  organization  of  religious  unity  in 
worship  and  the  Deuteronomic-code  as  connected  with  the 
permanence  of  the  nation  and  of  its  religious  unity,  then 
all  these  parts  of  the  law  must  have  been  in  the  mind 
of  Moses  as  he  called  for  a  renewal  of  the  covenant  vows. 
The  establishment,  the  organization,  the  permanence  of 
the  nation  were  the  very  interests  involved  in  this  final 
transaction  in  Moab.  Without  an  explicit  statement  to  the 
contrary,  we  are  forced  to  recognize  the  law  here  brought 
forward  as  designating  the  legal  enactments  connected  with 
the  entire  history  of  the  nation  up  to  this  time,  and  recorded 
in  Genesis,  Exodus,  Leviticus,  Numbers  and  Deuteronomy. 

All  the  essential  facts  connected  with  the  old  tribal  organ- 
ization before  the  exodus  were  made  a  part  of  the  terms  of 
this  national  oath  in  Moab,  for  that  old  tribal  organization  still 
remained  intact.  The  covenant-terms  with  that  early  tribal 
basis  of  the  nation  were  recorded  in  the  Book  of  Genesis  and 
were  known  to  Israel  in  Moab.  All  the  essential  facts  con- 
nected with  the  inauguration  and  continuation  of  the  wider 
national  life  at  Sinai  and  afterwards,  were  here  involved 
in  this  new  covenant.  Again,  let  it  be  remembered,  those 
facts  were  imbedded  in  the  history  as  well  as  in  the  mere 
legislation  of  Exodus,  Leviticus,  Numbers  and  Deuteron- 
omy. The  new  covenant  itself  was  based  upon  an  intelli- 
gent knowledge  of  all  those  facts  and  laws  on  the  part  of 
the  nation.      That  knowledge   was   drawn  by  this   second 

*W.  R.  Smith:  "  Old  Testament  in  the  Jewish  Church." 


288  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


generation  after  the  exodus  from  the  book  of  the  law  which 
contained  a  written  account  of  all  their  national  life.  That 
law  was  the  external  bond  of  national  unity  and  of  national 
permanence.  Just  so  surely  as  this  history  in  the  Pentateuch 
makes  declaration  that  the  twelve  tribes  were  descended  from 
Abraham  and  Jacob  and  that  they  were  compacted  into  na- 
tional unity  before  crossing  the  Jordan  into  Canaan,  with  the 
same  certitude  is  it  stated  that  the  Pentateuch  was  at  that 
time  written  out  in  one  "  book  of  the  law  "  as  the  sign  and 
seal  of  that  completed  statehood.  The  Pentateuch  was  the 
national  constitution  and  it  was  made  complete  at  the  same 
time  with  the  organization  of  the  nation  itself. 


MOSES  WROTE  THE  NATIONAL  CONSTITUTION.        289 


CHAPTER  XXL 
Authorship  and  Inspiration  of  the  Pentateuch. 

Moses  Wrote  the  National  Constitution. 

ALREADY  has  it  become  apparent  that  the  Pentateuch, 
as  containing  all  the  stipulations  of  the  national  cove- 
nant, was  presented  in  its  unity  to  the  assembly  in  the  plains 
of  Moab.  The  31st  chapter  of  Deuteronomy  declares  that 
Moses  wrote  this  constitution. 

The  work  of  Moses  as  a  writer  of  national  records  dates 
back  to  the  passage  of  the  Red  Sea.  The  song  which  Miri- 
am and  the  other  women  sang  is  called  the  Song  of  Moses. 
All  the  attendant  circumstances  and  the  internal  character 
of  the  song  itself  indicate  that  Moses  wrote  it  on  the  very 
day  of  deliverance.  It  was  the  birthday  of  the  nation,  and 
as  such  did  Moses  celebrate  it.  "  Thou  in  thy  mercy  hast 
led  forth  the  people  which  thou  hast  redeemed."*  After  the 
first  victory  wrought  by  the  sword  over  a  heathen  nation  in 
the  wilderness,  God  commanded  Moses  to  write  an  account 
of  the  defeat  of  these  Amalekites  "  in  the  book  and  rehearse 
it  in  the  ears  of  Joshua."  f  Evidently  the  reference  here  is 
to  a  well-known  national  record-book  which  was  then  in 
course  of  composition  at  the  hand  of  Moses,  Another  en- 
try in  the  national  chronicle  is  spoken  of  in  connection  with 
the  people  after  their  departure  from  Sinai:  "These  are  the 
journeyings  of  the  children  of  Israel,  which  went  forth  out 
of  the  land  of  Egypt  with  their  armies  under  the  hand  of 
Moses  and  Aaron.  And  Moses  wrote  their  goings  out  ac- 
cording to  their  journeys  by  the  commandment  of  Jeho- 
vah." I  In  the  making  of  the  covenant  at  Sinai,  all  the 
terms  of  agreement  were  written  down  by  Moses.  Jehovah 
spake  the  ten  commandments  unto  the  people,  and  at  the 
end  of  forty  days  wrote  them  with  His  own  finger  upon  the 
tables  of  stone.  Then  "  Moses  wrote  all  the  words  of  Jeho- 
vah,      and  he  took  the  book  of  the  covenant 

*Exod.l5:13.    +Exod.l7:14.    t  Numb.  33:  1,  2. 

19 


290  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


and  read  in  the  audience  of  the  people."  *  This  book  of  the 
covenant  is  embraced  in  Exodus  20:  22-23:  33,  and  deals 
with  the  establishment  of  the  national  assembly  of  the  He- 
brews as  one  of  the  nations  of  the  earth.  Certain  maxims 
and  laws  from  the  time  of  the  patriarchs  were  incorporated 
in  the  legal  judgments  set  forth  by  Moses  as  national  statutes. 

After  the  covenant  had  been  sworn  to,  and  after  Moses 
had  spent  the  first  period  of  forty  days  in  Jehovah's  pres- 
ence on  the  mount  receiving  directions  for  the  administra- 
tion of  worship,  he  returned  to  the  people  with  the  two 
tables  of  stone  only  to  discover  their  apostasy.  Then  Moses 
brake  the  tables  and  returned  to  ask  Jehovah  for  the  resto- 
ration of  the  nation.  "  If  thou  wilt  forgive  their  sin;  and 
if  not,  blot  me,  I  pray  thee,  out  of  thy  book  which  thou 
hast  written.  And  Jehovah  said  unto  Moses,  Whosoever 
hath  sinned  against  me,  him  will  I  blot  out  of  my  book."  f 
This  book  must  have  been  the  book  of  national  records 
wherein  were  enrolled  all  the  people  and  all  the  tribes  of 
Israel.  The  sum  of  all  the  men  capable  of  bearing  arms 
had  been  taken  at  the  time  of  the  exodus,J  and  the  sum  of 
all  the  men,  by  families  and  by  names,  was  again  taken  by 
Moses  and  Aaron  before  the  march  into  the  wilderness. § 
The  book  containing  this  register  of  the  national  assembly 
was  evidently  written  by  Moses  at  Jehovah's  commandment. 
It  was  Jehovah's  book,  for  it  contained  the  names  of  His 
people.  To  be  blotted  from  the  roll  therein  inscribed  meant 
the  loss  of  a  place  among  God's  people  both  now  and  for- 
ever. Further  than  this,  at  the  end  of  the  second  confe- 
rence of  forty  days  with  Jehovah,  after  Moses  had  received 
minute  instructions  concerning  the  civil  and  religious  ad- 
ministration of  God's  government,  "  Jehovah  said  unto 
Moses,  Write  thou  these  words:  for  after  the  tenor  of  these 
words  I  have  made  a  covenant  with  thee  and  with  Israel."  i 

Concerning  the  composition  of  the  Book  of  Leviticus,  the 
phrase  "Jehovah  spake  unto  Moses,"  or  "  Jehovah  spake 
unto  Moses  and  Aaron,"  occurs  no  less  than  thirty-six  times 
in  the  book  itself.  This  legislation  concerning  worship 
came  through  Moses.  Its  minute  specifications  could  not 
be  remembered  without  a  written  record.  Moreover,  it  is 
asserted  that  "these  are  the  statutes,  and  judgments,  and 

•Exod.24:  4-7.    tExod.32:  32,  33.    J  Exod.l2:  37.    §  Numb.  1:  2,3,17,44.    ||Exod.34:  27. 


MOSES  WROTE  THE  NATIONAL  CONSTITUTION.        291 


laws  which  Jehovah  made  between  him  and  the  children  of 
Israel  in  Mt.  Sinai  by  the  hand  of  Moses."*  The  necessary 
implication  involved  in  all  these  assertions  is  that  Moses 
wrote  down  all  the  religious  legislation  of  Jehovah.  A  sim- 
ilar statement  is  made  at  the  close  of  the  Book  of  Numbers 
concerning  the  origin  of  the  laws  and  statutes  therein  re- 
corded, f  and,  moreover,  in  the  book  we  find  the  phrase, 
"  Jehovah  spake  unto  Moses  "  or  "  unto  Moses  and  Aaron  " 
set  down  in  formal  manner  about  seventy-eight  times.  The 
record-book  of  their  journeyings  was  thus  not  the  onh^ 
chronicle  kept  by  Moses,  but  the  inference  from  all  these 
facts  is  clear  that  he  kept  also  a  detailed  record  of  God's 
laws  as  they  were  uttered. 

We  have  seen  that  the  first  thirty-chapters  of  Deuteron- 
omy are  the  very  words  of  Moses  himself.  They  form  an 
inspired  commentary  on  the  previous  national  history.  He 
declares  that  Jehovah  has  constituted  him  as  teacher  of  all  the 
national  laws.^  How  could  he  teach  definite  statutes  unless 
they  were  already  written  out  ?  Moreover,  the  people  them- 
selves were  to  teach  them  to  their  children,  were  to  talk  of 
them,  were  to  turite  ihem  on  the  door-posts  and  gate-posts. 
In  the  times  to  come,  when  they  shall  set  up  a  king,  this 
monarch  "  shall  write  him  a  copy  of  this  law  in  a  book  out 
of  that  which  is  before  the  priests,  the  Levites;  and  it  shall 
be  with  him  and  he  shall  read  therein  all  the  days  of  his 
life."§  A  written  national  constitution  given  through  Moses 
for  the  guidance  of  the  people  and  their  chosen  rulers  is 
here  spoken  of  as  a  book  well-known. 

In  the  closing  days  of  Moses  we  are  told  that  "  Moses 
wrote  this  law  and  delivered  it  unto  the  priests  the  sons  of 
Levi,  which  bare  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  Jehovah,  and 
unto  all  the  elders  of  Israel.  And  Moses  commanded  them, 
saying.  At  the  end  of  every  seven  years,  in  the  solemnity  of 
the  year  of  release,  in  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  when  all 
Israel  is  come  to  appear  before  Jehovah  thy  God  in  the 
place  which  He  shall  choose,  thou  shalt  read  this  law  before 
all  Israel  in  their  hearing."  ||  A  formal  renewal  of  the  cov- 
enant every  seven  years  is  here  contemplated,  and  that  re- 
newed covenant  must  be  made  after  a  clear  understanding  of 
the  national  constitution.     This  book  is  now  completed  and 

*Levit.26:  46.    +Numb.  36:  13.    IDeut.5:31.    §Deut.  17:  18, 19.    ||  Deut.  31:  9, 13. 


292  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


given  into  the  charge  of  the  civil  and  religious  administra- 
tors, the  elders  and  the  priests.  Doubtless,  the  priests  had 
been  the  keepers  of  the  book  during  the  wilderness  journeys 
and  none  but  Moses  had  access  thereto  in  order  that  he 
might  make  additional  entries.  "And  it  came  to  pass  when 
Moses  had  made  an  end  of  writing  the  words  of  this  law  in  a 
book,  until  they  were  finished,  that  Moses  commanded  the  Le- 
vites,  which  bare  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  Jehovah,  saying, 
Take  this  book  of  the  law  and  put  it  in  the  side  of  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  of  Jehovah  your  God  that  it  may  be  there  for 
a  witness  against  thee."* 

This  book,  which  Moses  completed  in  Moab,  contained  the 
foundations  of  the  national  organization.  The  permanence 
and  the  religious  character  of  Israel  were  intimately  con- 
nected with  that  book.  It  was  the  sign  and  seal  of  the  Hebrew 
religion  and  government.  The  principles  of  all  their  past  his- 
tory were  therein  recorded.  It  must  have  been  the  same  na- 
tional record-book  which  we  have  seen  growing  under  the 
hand  of  Moses  along  with  the  organization  of  the  theocracy. 
It  must  have  contained  not  only  one,  but  all  of  the  three  so- 
called  codes.  It  must  have  contained  not  only  codes,  but 
national  acts  and  chronicles.  It  must  have  contained  all  the 
matter  written  in  Genesis,  Exodus,  Leviticus,  Numbers  and 
Deuteronomy. 

Of  course,  we  except  from  this  statement  the  last  three 
chapters  of  Deuteronomy.  These  were  added  by  a  later 
hand  in  the  formal  collection  and  arrangement  of  the  canon 
of  the  Jewish  Scriptures.  The  Jews  have  a  tradition  that 
the  scribe  Ezra  made  such  an  arrangement,  and  made  also 
slight  verbal  additions  and  changes  in  the  holy  books. f 

Concerning  this  national  constitution,  it  will  be  sufficient 
here  to  make  brief  mention  of  the  evidence  concerning  its  ex- 
istence from  that  time  forward.  Unto  Joshua  this  book 
written  by  Moses  was  given  by  Jehovah  as  His  own  govern- 
mental constitution  for  the  direction  of  the  nation.  +  In 
the  time  of  the  judges  the  national  apostasy  was  due,  as  the 
record  implies,  to  the  indifference  of  the  people  to  thejr  na- 
tional law.  The  reformation  of  Samuel  was  based  upon  the 
teaching  and  the  enforcement  of  the  divine  constitution. 
The   reformation   in   the  time   of   Josiah   sprang  from  the 

*  Deut.  31 :  24-26.    +  Tertullian.    J  Josh.  1 :  1-8 ;  14, 18  and  21. 


CULMINATION  OF  MOSES'  WORK  AS  PROPHET.         293 


new-discovered  "  Book  of  the  Law  of  Jehovah  by  Moses."* 
The  writings  of  psalmists  and  prophets  were  based  upon 
a  minute  knowledge  of  all  the  books  of  the  Pentateuch  as 
the  covenant-book  of  the  nation.  Likewise,  when  our  Lord 
spake  to  the  Jews  of  the  law  of  Moses,  He  evidently  spake 
from  this  national  point  of  view.  He  denounced  national 
sins  and  national  apostasies  as  departures  from  the  real 
teachings  of  him  who  set  forth  in  written  form  the  national 
constitution.  Pharisaic  evil-doing,  said  the  Lord,  was  going 
about  to  dissolve  the  national  organization  which  Moses  had 
been  instrumental  in  forming  through  the  agency  of  his  law. 
The  law  of  Moses,  as  thus  referred  to,  could  mean  naught 
else  than  the  entire  Pentateuch. f 

The  Culmination  of  Moses'  Work  as  Prophet. 

The  national  constitution  was  the  last  and  greatest  work 
of  Moses.  In  this  book  of  the  law  was  the  activity  of  Moses 
to  be  perpetuated.  As  he  had  spoken  Jehovah's  words  unto 
the  people,  so  was  this  book  to  continue  the  utterance  of  the 
same  divine  commands  and  promises  until  the  coming  of 
the  Prophet  like  unto  Moses.  When  He  did  come.  His  mis- 
sion was  to  sanction  and  fulfill  the  law  as  Moses  had  written 
it.  Let  us  here  recall  the  facts  connected  with  Moses'  life- 
work  as  prophet. 

The  primary  function  of  Moses  as  prophet  was  to  declare 
Jehovah's  will.  "  See,  I  have  appointed  thee  a  god  to  Pha- 
raoh: and  Aaron,  thy  brother,  shall  be  thy  prophet.  Thou 
shalt  speak  all  that  I  command  thee.     And  he  shall  be  thy 

spokesman  unto  the  people, and  thou  shalt 

be  to  him  instead  of  God."  I  Thus  were  his  credentials  as- 
signed him  as  Jehovah's  representative  atthe  Pharaoh's  court. 
Thus  was  he  to  stand  as  Jehovah's  agent  to  make  demands, 
to  utter  warnings  and  to  wield  infinite  power.  In  this  work 
as  God's  messenger  or  representative,  Moses  passed  through 
three  distinct  stages  of  activity.  First  of  all,  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  declare  Jehovah's  purposes  unto  the  Pharaoh  and 
to  substantiate  his  assertions  by  working  "signs  and  wonders ! " 
The  stretching  out  of  the  hand  of  Moses  and  the  hand  of 
Aaron  over  the  river  and  over  the  land  of  Egypt  was  the 

*II.  Cliron.  34:  14.       f  Vid.  Introduction  to  Speaker's  Com.  on  Pentateuch,    t  Exod. 
7:  1,2;  4:  16. 


294  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


stretching  out  of  Jehovah's  hand.  The  miracles  that  were 
wrought  at  the  command  of  Moses  displayed  the  infinite 
power  consigned  to  his  direction.  The  rather  did  they  show 
that  the  first  activity  of  Moses  as  God's  representative  was 
in  the  great  work  of  making  known  His  power  by  redeem- 
ing Israel  "with  a  stretched-out  arm  and  with  great  judg- 
ments." *  In  the  drama  of  the  exodus,  God  wrought  out 
before  the  eyes  of  all  nations  the  greatest  series  of  miracles 
of  judgment  ever  manifested.  This  was  unquestionably  the 
period  wherein  God  brought  to  a  climax  His  miracles  in  the 
sphere  of  external  nature,  as  indicating  His  punishment  of 
those  who  render  Him  naught  but  defiance.  Another  age 
of  miracles  was  the  period  of  the  Hebrew  prophets,  but  many 
of  God's  wonders  in  this  later  time  were  manifested  in  healing 
lepers  like  Naaman  as  well  as  in  punishing  priests  of  Baal. 
Later  still,  the  life  of  Jesus  was  spent  in  working  wonders,  but 
these  were  mostly  wrought  upon  infirm  bodies  and  demon- 
ized  souls.  The  farther  we  advance  in  the  history  of  God's 
wonder-working  the  more  do  we  find  Him  eff'ecting  an  ap- 
proach towards  the  souls  of  men  with  the  miraculous  agen- 
cies that  purify  and  bless  and  heal.  But  the  period  of  the 
exodus  was  the  one  age  of  the  world  when  God  made  the 
earth,  air  and  sky,  the  rivers  and  the  seas,  and  all  that 
moves  and  lives,  the  sun,  the  animal  world  from  every  in- 
sect up  to  the  first-born  of  men,  all  of  these  to  speak  forth 
His  power  and  to  stamp  a  curse  upon  the  overgrown  super- 
stitions of  earth.  Never  again  were  miracles  of  this  charac- 
ter to  be  wrought  upon  such  a  scale  until  the  end  of  all 
things  earthly.  For  such  wielding  of  miraculous  power,  the 
entire  training  of  Moses  had  fitted  him.  Miraculous  agen- 
cies had  surrounded  his  life  from  the  beginning.  By  a  mira- 
cle had  he  been  drawn  out  of  the  bulrushes  to  be  trained 
up  in  the  Pharaoh's  palace.  Divine  power  accompanied  him 
through  all  his  years  of  banishment  in  Midian,  and  the 
miracle  of  the  burning  bush  opened  up  his  commission  to 
bring  Israel  out  of  bondage.  Humanly  speaking,  no  other 
man  of  that  time  would  have  been  able  to  understand  and 
to  use  the  divine  agencies  which  wrought  deliverance  for 
the  Hebrews.  God  could  have  prepared  another  man  for 
the  work,  but  He  did  not,  and  we  know  well  that  the  back- 


*Exod.6:  6. 


CULMINATION  OF  MOSES'  WORK  AS  PROPHET.         295 


ground  of  divine  interference  in  Moses'  life  was  a  part  of 
the  preparation  of  this  leading  man  of  the  first  great  age  of 
miracles. 

The  second  stage  of  the  work  of  Moses  began  in  the  wil- 
derness when  he  sat  as  judge  to  make  Israel  "  know  the 
statutes  of  God  and  His  laws."  *  The  function  of  legislator 
was  added  to  his  function  as  judge,  and  thus  did  he  become 
the  mediator  between  God  and  the  people.  Jethro  suggested 
"God  shall  be  with  thee;  be  thou  for  the  people  before 
God,"  t  and  Moses  heeded  and  assumed  his  double  office  as 
representative  of  Jehovah  and  representative  of  the  people. 
As  the  minister  of  Jehovah  he  declared  the  ordinances  and  the 
laws  whereby  the  people  were  to  be  guided,  and  as  the  deputy, 
or  agent  of  the  people,  he  brought  causes  unto  Jehovah  for  final 
adjudication.  When  Jehovah  began  to  deliver  the  great 
series  of  statutes  from  Sinai,  it  was  through  Moses  that  He 
spake  to  the  people.  In  like  manner,  the  people  sent  Moses 
into  God's  presence  to  hear  His  words  for  them,  for  when 
they  saw  the  thunderings  and  the  lightnings  and  the  noise 
of  the  trumpet  and  the  mountain  smoking,  they  said  unto 
Moses,  "  Speak  thou  with  us  and  we  will  hear;  but  let  not 
God  speak  with  us,  lest  we  die."  I  Thus  did  Moses  enter 
upon  the  work  of  enlightenment  as  distinguished  from  his 
previous  career  as  miracle  worker.  Of  course,  he  wrought  in 
both  ways  at  the  first  and  continuously  unto  the  end; but  the 
predominance  of  the  one  element  at  different  times  seems 
to  justify  this  division  into  different  stages  of  activity.  This 
lofty  position  as  mouth-piece  for  God,  as  an  ear-piece  for  the 
people,  was  dwelt  upon  by  Moses  in  his  latest  addresses  unto 
Israel.  In  the  renewal  of  the  covenant  in  the  plains  of 
Moab  he  reiterated  the  history  of  his  induction  into  the  of- 
fice of  teacher  of  ordinances;  he  recalled  the  fact  that  the  peo- 
ple commanded  him  into  Jehovah's  presence  to  hear  and  to 
make  report;  that  Jehovah  commanded  him,  "Stand  thou 
here  by  Me,  and  I  will  speak  unto  thee  all  the  commandments 
and  the  statutes  and  the  judgments  which  thou  shalt  teach" 
the  people.  § 

Again  do  we  assert  that  Moses  was  the  one  man  of  his  time 
whom  God  trained  for  this  work  of  legislation.  In  the 
universities  and  the  armies  of  Egypt  had  Moses  learned  all 

*Exod.  18:  16.    +Exod.  18:  19.    1  Exod.  20 :  18,  19.    g  Deut.  5:  22  and  33. 


296  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


that  men  then  knew  of  civil  and  military  law.  He  was  the 
only  man  of  whom  we  have  record  who  could  understand  a 
great  system  of  law,  and  with  intelligence  set  it  before  the 
people.  In  the  mere  matter  of  hearing  and  explaining  the 
divine  covenant  and  of  carrying  into  effect  the  national  or- 
ganization, Moses  was  the  one  and  only  man  of  his  age  fit- 
ted for  the  work. 

The  third  and  highest  stage  of  the  work  of  Moses  was  his 
writing  of  the  law.  He  was  the  teacher  not  merely  of  his 
own  age,  but  teacher  of  the  ages  yet  to  come.  His  work  of 
enlightening  future  generations  as  well  as  his  own  was  ef- 
fected through  the  written  copy  of  the  law.  After  the 
writing,  the  book  was  given  to  Joshua  as  God's  book,  as  God's 
law.  In  the  first  stage  of  his  prophetic  work,  Moses  wrought 
miracles  as  God's  representative;  in  the  second  stage,  he  spoke 
God's  Word  as  His  representative,  and  in  the  third  stage  he 
wrote  God's  Word  as  His  representative.  Now,  it  must  be 
admitted  that  the  human  agency  involved  in  these  three 
manifestations  of  supernatural  power  and  wisdom,  was  an 
agency  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  the  divine  works. 
This  sympathy  would  involve  intelligence.  The  human 
agent  must  have  been  divinely  instructed  in  the  specific  un- 
derstanding of  all  that  he  did.  The  ultimate  purpose  of  all 
these  revelations  may  have  been  made  known  to  him  only 
through  a  glass,  darkly,  but  the  present  intention  and  ap- 
plication must  have  been  known  to  him  in  their  full  scope. 
The  contention  here  made  is  that  Moses  was  the  only  man 
of  that  age  endowed  with  the  special  fitness  adequate  to  the 
completion  of  such  divine  works.  None  other  man  of  his 
time  would  have  successfully  led  the  advance  in  Jehovah's 
war  against  all  the  gods  of  Egypt.  None  other  man  would 
have  received  and  put  in  operation  such  a  complete  system 
of  divine  laws  when  the  minds  of  men  were  prejudiced  in 
favor  of  codes  of  an  opposing  spirit.  None  other  man  of 
that  period  would  have  been  able  to  incorporate  Jehovah's 
institutions  into  the  forms  of  human  language  so  distinct 
and  so  complete  that  Jehovah  could  accept  that  language  as 
His  own.  Superadded  to  all  these  individual  necessities  of 
circumstance  that  compel  the  inference  that  Moses  must 
have  wrought  each  individual  part  of  the  works  of  this  great 
age  of  revelation,  there  is  the  further  logical  necessity  that 


CULMINATION  OF  MOSES'  WORK  AS  PROPHET.         297 


the  same  man  must  have  been  Jehovah's  agent  in  all  of  these 
manifestations.  The  man  who  stretched  out  his  arm  as  the 
sign  that  Jehovah's  lightning  would  strike  the  fetters  from 
the  hands  of  the  Hebrew  slaves,  must  of  necessity  have 
been  the  same  man  who  heard  and  spake  the  ordinances 
that  made  the  liberated  nation  also  subject  to  Jehovah.  The 
man  who  invoked  Jehovah's  power  to  strike  down  the  Pha- 
raoh's tyranny  was  of  necessity  the  same  man  who  interpreted 
Jehovah's  wisdom  in  the  establishment  of  a  self-regulating 
community.  And,  then,  the  man  who  had  played  the  lead- 
ing part  in  all  this  great  drama  from  the  Nile  to  the  Jordan 
was  the  one  man  who  could  have  made  a  permanent  record 
of  the  entire  series  of  events.  We  are  not  discussing  the 
limits  of  the  divine  power,  for  that  is  without  limit  or  boun- 
dary. We  speak  here  of  the  methods  always  used  by 
Jehovah  in  the  exercise  of  His  power.  Among  the  Hebrew 
prophets,  later  than  the  time  of  Moses,  the  man  who 
wrought  miracles  was  also  the  man  who  came  to  speak  a 
message  which  he  himself  had  received  from  God,  and  the 
man  who  did  both  of  these  was  also  the  writer  of  his  own  mes- 
sages to  the  people  of  his  own  time  and  of  succeeding  times. 
These  three  stages  of  miracle-working,  declaration  by  word 
of  mouth  and  writing  a  permanent  record,  constitute  the  ele- 
ments of  complete  unity  in  the  functions  of  the  prophet. 
Where  we  find  this  completeness,  the  same  man  always  did 
the  entire  work.  In  like  manner  was  Moses  the  one  man 
whom  God  prepared  for  the  completion  of  the  great  system 
of  revelation  made  in  the  age  of  the  exodus. 

At  this  point  we  ma}'  sum  up  the  argument  concerning 
the  Mosaic  authorship  of  the  Pentateuch.  In  this  argu- 
ment there  are  just  three  steps.  The  first  contention  made 
is  that  the  Pentateuch  is  a  complete  unity,  and  necessarily 
the  work  of  one  man.  This  contention  is  involved  in  the 
discussion  set  forth  in  the  main  body  of  this  volume.  We 
have  maintained  that  the  writer  of  the  original  records 
of  these  five  books  was  of  necessity  the  man  who  gave  them 
final  and  permanent  literary  form,  with  the  exception  of 
certain  slight  verbal  alterations  by  a  later  scribe. 

The  second  contention  is  that  this  book  was  made  complete 
in  the  age  of  the  exodus,  before  the  permanent  occupation  of 
Palestine.     The  book,  in   its   five  parts  in  complete  literary 


298  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


form,  is  contemporary  with  the  organization  of  the  nation. 
The  institutions  and  the  record  are  made  permanent  to- 
gether. This  is  the  clear  statement  of  the  Pentateuch  itself, 
as  we  have  already  endeavored  to  show.  If  we  accept  its 
credibility  as  history  we  must  needs  accept  this  historical 
oneness  of  the  nation  and  the  book.  We  can  recall  in  how 
many  particulars  the  narrative  of  the  Pentateuch  is  inter- 
woven with  Egyptian  life.  The  institutions  of  Egypt  form 
the  great  background.  The  entire  book  must  have  been 
written  with  that  background  in  the  clear  view  of  the 
writer.  In  the  foreground  of  the  Pentateuch  is  the  Jordan 
and  Palestine.  From  beginning  to  end  of  the  five  books 
the  crossing  of  the  Jordan  and  the  permanent  settlement  in 
Palestine  are  contemplated.  It  is  self-evident  that  the 
writer  of  the  Pentateuch  looks  forward  to  the  promised 
home.  It  is  evident  that  when  he  lays  down  his  pen  at  the 
close  of  the  five-volumed  work,  the  wilderness  and  the  desert 
are  still  about  Israel,  and  their  rich  inheritance  still  is  be- 
yond the  river. 

The  third  and  final  claim  in  the  argumentation  is  that 
Moses  was  the  sole  individual  of  the  age  of  the  exodus  who 
was  at  all  equal  to  the  task  of  writing  this  great  national 
record.  We  have  seen  that  the  patriarchal  organization  of 
the  Hebrew  tribes  was  incorporated  into  the  civil  organiza- 
tion of  the  nation  at  Sinai.  The  sacrifices  practiced  by  the 
patriarchs,  with  certain  regulations  and  laws,  formed  a  part 
of  the  religious  and  civil  organization  formally  established 
at  Sinai.  Moses,  as  God's  agent,  completed  that  national 
organization  and  framed  its  laws.  He  must  have  known 
the  history  of  the  patriarchs,  for  he  did  obey  the  command 
of  Joseph  concerning  his  bones,  and  he  did  know  all  about 
the  patriarchal  organization,  administration  of  justice,  and 
religious  rites.  We  are  not  concerned  here  with  the  ques- 
tion as  to  how  Moses  learned  that  history.  He  may  have  ob- 
tained it  through  tribal  traditions,  or  there  may  have  been 
tribal  records.  Moses  undoubtedly  knew  all  the  history  set 
forth  in  the  Book  of  Genesis.  He  made  use  of  the  facts  in- 
volved in  that  history  when  he  was  establishing  the  national 
covenant.  That  history  had  to  be  known  by  the  people  in 
entering  into  the  covenant  at  Sinai.  A  complete  record  of 
God's  dealings  with  His  people  in   Egypt  and  at  Sinai  in- 


THE  INSPIRATION  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH.  299 


volved  a  record  of  what  He  had  done  for  them  in  patriarchal 
times.  No  other  man  before  or  since  the  age  of  the  exodus 
could  have  had  such  complete  knowledge  of  the  entire 
patriarchal  period  as  Moses.  No  other  man  before  or  since 
could  have  had  such  necessity  laid  upon  him  to  write  the 
history  of  that  period  as  it  has  been  recorded  in  the  Book 
of  Genesis. 

Furthermore,  as  the  chief  actor  in  all  the  scenes  of 
national  deliverance,  he  was  the  most  thoroughly-equipped 
man  for  the  writing  of  that  history.  There  was  the  supreme 
motive,  likewise,  that  the  permanence  of  this  newly-formed 
nation  depended  upon  obedience  to  the  expressed  ordinances 
of  Jehovah.  Those  statutes  must  be  written  out  then  and 
there.  Our  necessary  inference  is  that  they  were  written 
out  by  the  only  man  who  had  completely  entered  into  the 
shrine  of  God's  presence  to  learn  His  purposes  and  His 
laws.  Moses  was  the  one  man  of  all  the  throng  who  spake 
with  God,  who  saw  the  glory  of  God,  and  who  had  that 
glory  so  stamped  upon  his  own  face  that  Israel  could  not 
look  upon  him.  From  that  living  presence  of  the  divine 
glory  came  he  forth  with  the  heavenly  voice  ringing  in  his 
ears  and  the  heavenly  pattern  before  his  eyes,  not  only  to 
interpret  .Jehovah's  plans,  but  to  perform  that  loftiest  of  all 
acts  permitted  to  man — to  transfer  to  human  speech  in 
written  form  the  very  thoughts  and  laws  of  God  Himself. 
Through  Moses,  God  expressed  His  will  in  Human  speech 
as  the  necessary  prelude  to  the  manifestation  of  His  nature 
in  the  human  flesh  of  His  Son. 

The  Inspiration  of  the  Pentateuch. 

Thus  far  have  we  considered  the  Pentateuch  as  a  great 
body  of  divine  revelation.  Within  these  five  books  is  incor- 
porated a  great  system  of  teaching  concerning  the  character 
of  God  and  the  character  of  man;  and  this  system  is  imbed- 
ded in  the  narrative  history  of  races  and  individuals  extend- 
ing over  a  period  of  hundreds  of  years.  In  calling  the 
Pentateuch  a  body  of  revelation,  we  simply  connote  the 
fact  that  God  has  herein  opened  up  the  mysteries  of  the 
supernatural  world  to  the  knowledge  of  men  through  the 
teaching  agency  of  material  facts;  that  He  has  herein  com- 
municated divine  ideas  unto   finite  minds  through  the  me- 


300  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


dium  of  visions,  voices,  symbols  and  angels.  All  of  these 
are  only  methods  of  His  self-manifestation  or  means  of  the 
divine  revelation. 

This  system  of  revelation  likewise  has  a  great  aim  and 
purpose  distinctly  declared.  This  aim  is  to  make  Israel 
holy  even  as  Jehovah  is  holy.  Through  the  agency  of  the 
moral  and  spiritual  ideas  revealed  God  has  sought,  and  con- 
tinues seeking,  to  make  His  chosen  like  unto  Himself. 
Aside  from  its  method  and  its  aim,  however,  let  us  hold 
distinctly  in  view  the  fact  that  the  Pentateuch  is  a  great 
body  of  revelation — a  system  of  supernatural  truth  which 
men  could  not  reach  unless  God  had  broken  through  the 
bonds  of  the  unseen  and  had  spoken  it  in  terms  unmis- 
takable. 

A  second  characteristic  of  the  Pentateuch  is  its  historical 
credibility.  Each  and  all  of  its  parts  have  been  examined 
in  connection  with  contemporary  records,  and  upon  every 
line  of  these  five  books  have  we  found  stamped  the  marks 
of  truth.  We  have  found  the  entire  book  to  be  a  true  his- 
tory of  real  events.  From  its  consecutive  unity,  from  its 
self-consistency,  from  its  entire  accordance  with  contempo- 
rary events,  we  receive  the  Pentateuch  at  its  face  value  as  a 
narrative  history.  Moreover,  our  judgment  is  sustained  by 
the  divine  wisdom  of  our  Lord  Himself,  for  He  accepted 
the  Pentateuch  and  He  taught  it  as  worthy  of  entire  cre- 
dence. Upon  His  sanction  alone  are  we  made  confident 
that  the  Pentateuch  is  a  part  of  the  Old  Testament  canon, 
and,  as  such,  is  a  true  and  unimpeachable  record  of  facts. 

From  the  statements  and  implications  of  the  Pentateuch 
as  a  credible  history  have  we  drawn  out  our  reasons  for  be- 
lieving Moses  to  be  the  writer  of  this  book.  The  name  and 
character  of  the  author  are  interwoven  with  the  histori- 
cal character  of  the  book  itself.  That  is  to  say,  the  au- 
thorship of  the  Pentateuch  is  a  historical  question.  Cer- 
tain scholars  bring  forward  word-lists  from  the  narratives 
on  different  subjects  in  the  course  of  the  history,  and  they 
assert  that  these  different  words  and  phrases  imply  different 
authors.  This  claim  is  fortified  by  the  additional  assertion 
that  these  passages  are  marked  by  difference  in  linguistic 
style,  and  that  sometimes  there  is  found  a  parallel  narrative 


TEE  INSPIRATION  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH.  301 


concerning  the  same  subject.*  But  we  hold  that  difference  in 
subject-matter  and  difference  in  point  of  view  will  account  for 
all  these  variations  in  the  style  and  language.  The  claim 
that  different  documents  have  been  woven  together  by  some 
editor  after  the  time  of  the  exile  is  a  flat  denial  of  the  his- 
torical credibility  of  the  Pentateuch.  We  maintain  that, 
upon  the  face  of  it,  the  book  claims  to  be  a  unity  in  theme 
and  in  authorship.  When  these  scholars  attempt  further 
to  find  the  Pentateuch  and  the  psalter  to  be  results  of  na- 
tional development  in  government  and  religious  ceremo- 
nial,! they  deny  the  truth  of  the  historical  statements  of 
the  Pentateuch.  They  invalidate  the  character  of  the  nar- 
rative as  a  body  of  revelation  and  bring  it  down  to  the  level 
of  human  wisdom  and  tribal  folk-lore.  The  whole  history, 
from  beginning  to  end,  cries  out  against  such  an  assault 
upon  its  credibility. 

The  matter  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Pentateuch  brings 
us  into  a  wider  field.  Here  have  we  before  us  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  entire  Bible.  •  The  question  of  divine  revelation, 
concerned  as  it  is  with  the  theme  and  the  credibility  of  the 
statements  made  in  the  sacred  narrative,  has  been  left  be- 
hind as  a  matter  already  solyed,  and  now  are  we  busied  con- 
cerning the  origin  of  the  written  record  of  revelation.  We 
have  accepted  as  authentic  historical  facts  the  truths  of 
revelation,  many  of  these  being  such  facts  long  before  their 
history  was  committed  to  writing.  Now  must  we  investigate 
the  manner  and  the  means  of  that  writing. 

In  one  passage  we  find  "  all  Scripture  "  characterized  as 
"  God-breathed." t  Again,  the  holy  prophets  are  called  the 
mouth-pieces  of  God,§  and  they  also,  as  scripture-writers, 
are  said  to  have  been  "  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  ||  Fur- 
ther than  this,  the  written  record  made  by  Moses  is  called 
the  very  mouth-piece  of  God."\  All  these  claims  mean 
naught  else  than  this,  that  the  written  record  of  divine  re- 
velation is  essentially  God's  work  and  not  man's,  for  it  is 
God's  Word  and  not  man's.  These  claims  mean  that  the 
written  record  was  inscribed  by  human  penmen  so  com- 
pletely under  His  direction  that  the  process  of  literary  com- 

*  Canon  Driver:  Introd.  to  the  Literature  of  the  O.  T.  Dr.  Charles  A.  Briggs:  The 
Higher  Criticism  of  the  Hexateueh.  +  Briggs:  The  Higher  Criticism  of  the  Hexa- 
teueh.    I  II.  Tim.  3:  16.    g  Luke  1 :  70.    ||  II.  Peter  1:  21.    IT  Joshua  1 ;  7-9. 


302  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


position  was  controlled  by  divine  wisdom  superadded  to  hu- 
man wisdom. 

This  conclusion  is  sustained  by  additional  testimony  from 
the  quality  of  the  sacred  narrative.  The  quality  of  the 
Bible  as  prophecy,  in  addition  to  its  quality  as  credible  his- 
tory, bespeaks  the  finger  of  God  in  its  literary  composition. 
Its  quality  of  freedom  from  error  in  every  part,  even  in 
those  sections  where  questions  of  chronology,  natural  sci- 
ence and  contemporary  history  are  dealt  with,  distinguishes 
the  Bible  from  all  other  books.  In  these  respects,  human 
historians  make  mistakes  and  contradict  themselves  in 
their  own  writings.  No  contradiction  of  the  facts  of  nature, 
nor  of  science;  no  self-contradiction  between  its  parts,  has  yet 
been  pointed  out  in  the  Bible,  with  the  sole  exception  of  those 
errors  in  the  text  which  have  resulted  from  human  mis- 
management in  the  handling  of  the  books  since  their  com- 
position. These  qualities  extend  to  the  minutest  part  of  the 
Bible  record  and  even  permeate  the  very  words  used  to  com- 
municate the  supernatural  truth.  This  inerrancy  is  denied 
by  the  above-mentioned  scholars,  on  the  ground  that  they 
can  point  to  errors  in  the  Bible  narrative.  But  not  a  single 
error  have  they  yet  demonstrated;  not  one  statement  have 
they  pointed  out  as  a  mistake  on  the  part  of  the  original 
writers.  Things  not  clearly  understood  are  numerous,  but 
of  positive  errors,  none  have  come  to  the  surface.  Not  one 
of  these  scholars  can  say,  "  Here  is  a  matter  concerning 
which  I  know  the  truth,  while  the  original  writer  did  not 
know  it,  and  I  can  prove  both  propositions."  The  claim  for 
the  absolute  inerrancy  of  the  Bible  stands  unimpeached  by 
a  single  demonstrated  fact  to  the  contrary. 

This  overwhelming  testimony  brings  the  conviction  that 
even  in  the  matter  of  giving  literary  permanence  to  His 
revelation  God  wrought  a  miracle.  As  a  written  record 
the  entire  Bible  is  just  as  clearly  the  result  of  miracle  as  a 
part  of  its  contents  are  the  result  of  miraculous  visions. 
If  we  call  the  sudden  appearance  of  the  risen  Lord  unto 
Saul  at  Damascus  by  the  term  miracle,  so  do  we  apply  the 
same  term  miracle  to  Paul's  continuous  work  of  writing 
down  on  parchment  all  of  God's  revelations  to  him.  In  the 
first  case,  the  Son  of  God  was  the  Revealer  of  new  truths 
to  Saul  himself;  in  the   second  case  the  Spirit  of  God  was 


THE  INSPIRATION  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH.  303 


the  continual  guide  in  such  manner  as  to  make  the  writing 
a  series  of  divine  messages  unto  all  ages.  Therefore,  using 
the  terms  found  in  the  Bible  itself,  we  agree  to  call  the  Bible 
record  "  inspired,"  denoting  the  fact  that  it  is  the  very  word 
of  God  and  not  of  man.  Likewise  we  say  that  the  writers 
were  ''  inspired  "  authors — that  is,  under  the  complete  guid- 
ance of  God's  Spirit.  Then  we  use  the  general  term  "  in- 
spiration "  to  express  the  fact  that  God's  Spirit  so  superin- 
tended the  process  of  writing,  that  God's  thoughts  and  plans 
stood  transcribed  upon  the  pages  in  a  literary  form  of  abso- 
lute inerrancy.  When  the  Scripture  speaks,  it  is  God  that 
speaks.  God's  authority  is  clad  in  the  garments  of  human 
language  and  dwells  among  men  as  the  only  infallible  rule 
of  faith  and  practice. 

We  have  learned  certain  facts  concerning  the  work  of 
Moses  as  prophet  that  indicate  just  here  the  character  of 
the  origin  of  the  Pentateuch.  The  first  stage  of  Moses'  ac- 
tivity was  that  of  miracle-working  exercised  upon  exter- 
nal nature.  The  second  stage  was  miracle-working  in  a 
wider  and  higher  sphere.  All  the  self-manifestations  of  Je- 
hovah at  Sinai,  not  merely  the  thunderings,  but  the  Voice 
that  spake  all  the  statutes — these  were  a  very  high  order  of 
the  miraculous.  They  displayed  the  hand  and  the  wisdom 
of  God  in  the  midst  of  human  affairs  in  a  manner  never 
before  witnessed.  God's  communications  to  Moses  were 
nothing  less  than  a  continuous  miracle.  But  more  miracu- 
lous still  was  the  work  of  Moses  in  making  permanent 
record  of  those  revelations.  Herein  was  a  continuous  miracle 
of  yet  more  marvelous  character.  Herein  Moses  found  his 
loftiest  sphere  of  work,  and  herein  God  wrought  His  greatest 
miracle,  until  that  other  transcendant  wonder  of  later  cen- 
turies when  the  Word  became  flesh.  God's  sanction  rested 
upon  the  written  record  of  His  revelation  in  addition  to  the 
sanction  accorded  unto  the  facts  revealed. 

Somewhat  has  been  said  concerning  Bibliolatry  in  con- 
nection with  this  claim  of  the  divine  origin  of  the  Penta- 
teuch and  of  the  whole  Bible.  But  it  must  not  be  supposed 
that  we  hold  up  the  letter  of  God's  word  as  also  a  worker  of 
miracles.  The  book  is  itself  the  result  of  miraculous  agen- 
cies, but  the  mere  printed  page  is  not,  in  turn,  competent  to 
work  further  miracles.     The  axe  which  Elisha  made  to  swim 


304  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


upon  the  surface  of  Jordan  did  not  become  an  instrument 
of  miraculous  cutting  power,  and  probably  had  to  be  sharp- 
ened with  the  rest.  The  body  of  Lazarus  was  gifted  with  no 
miracle-working  touch,  with  no  exemption  from  another 
hour  of  death  after  the  Lord  called  him  forth  from  the  tomb. 
God  wrought  a  miracle  in  producing  the  inspired  Book,  but 
when  it  stood  complete,  the  record  was  then  subject  to  the 
ordinary  laws  that  govern  all  human  records,  just  as  the  life 
of  the  risen  Lazarus  was  again  subject  to  the  ordinary  con- 
ditions of  human  existence.  The  paper  leaves  will  not  turn 
a  rifle  ball,  nor  will  the  touch  of  them  avert  the  contagion  of 
disease.  The  language  is  altogether  of  the  speech  common 
to  mankind,  and  can  be  turned  into  many  vernaculars. 

The  crowning  work  of  Moses  was  just  this  work  of  making 
God's  law  current  in  the  speech  of  men.  First  among  the 
sons  of  men  was  he  to  have  his  writing  so  superintended  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  that  the  result  was  an  inspired  book.  The  book 
itself  was  guarded  by  the  watchful  providence  of  God,  but  it 
was  surrendered  to  human  agencies  for  transmission.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  these  human  agencies  have  made  mistakes. 
The  copyist's  pen  has  sometimes  slipped  and  the  wrong 
word  has  been  substituted  for  the  original  term.  By  means 
of  the  supernatural  knowledge  imparted  through  the  use  of 
the  Pentateuch,  God  inspired  other  men  to  the  miraculous 
work  of  writing  other  parts  of  His  revelation.  The  remain- 
ing parts  of  the  Old  Testament  and  all  of  the  New  were,  in 
large  measure,  founded  upon  the  Pentateuch.  Copyists  con- 
tinued to  make  errors,  for  copyists  are  not  inspired — but  the 
book  is  inspired  because  the  Spirit  of  truth  dwelleth  therein, 
even  as  our  spirits  dwell  in  these  houses  of  clay.  At  length 
the  canon  was  closed  and  the  sacred  writing,  begun  by  Mo- 
ses, was  completed  by  John;  the  Spirit  of  God  was  domiciled 
forever  in  His  linguistic  tabernacle,  even  though  the  parch- 
ment of  the  original  human  penman  might  wax  old  and  de- 
cay after  the  manner  of  all  things  material. 


Finis. 


^<m^^^- 


^J^^ 


''^m 

?\i)i 


'*i^ 


i^ 


^J^-ifiCfi 


w^ 


MBx^ 


0^*^- 


^^pgp|ililM|pi»^i^^^Sii^p 


BS1225  .8.W58 

The  origin  of  the  Pentateuch  in  the 

Princeton  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Librar 


1    1012  00012  1972 


